MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred Watching Marlins "Very Closely" During Sale Of Team
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The All-Star Legacy Project made another stop Monday, dedicating a new ballpark at Jose Marti Park in Little Havana with the help of Marlins President David Samson and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
"There's a lot of elements trying to grab our kids and pull them in the wrong direction," said Ripken. "Sport is a good thing. Baseball is a magical thing because you don't have to be the biggest, strongest, and fastest to play it."
The new field is a safe space for kids, but across town team owner Jeffrey Loria is trying to sell his park and team.
CBS4's Mike Cugno spoke to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, who was at Monday's unveiling.
He said there are still three bidders involved but the deal is in the Marlins hands.
"This is the Marlins business, Mr. Loria owns the club," Manfred said. "They're running the sale process. Obviously we'd like to see it be done sooner rather that later but there is a lot of work to be done. I'm confident it's going to be wrapped up fairly quickly."
Thanks to fire sales of players in the past, Jeffrey Loria has had a contentious relationship with the Miami fan base.
A recent USA Today article stated players like Marcell Ozuna, Christian Yelich, or even Giancarlo Stanton weren't immune to trades.
That has left many to wonder if MLB would intervene.
"When we have a club for sale, we watch player transactions very carefully," Manfred said. "I have to say for the past month or so I've talked to [Marlins President] Mr. [David] Samson almost every day. I doubt there will be any surprises on that front."