John Fisher’s reign as baseball’s worst owner is being challenged by Bruce Sherman, who made a splashy but ill-fated purchase of the Miami Marlins for $1.2 billion in 2017. Sherman’s mismanagement is now glaringly evident as he drives the Marlins into the ground.
While Fisher’s Oakland A’s are already a sorry sight as a neglected franchise in Oakland, Sherman’s mishandling of the Marlins adds another stain to baseball’s reputation. Fisher’s decision to oust Marlins GM Kim Ng, who had orchestrated clever trades leading to postseason success, was bad enough. Yet, replacing her with Peter Bendix, a sabermetrics enthusiast from the Rays, further worsened the situation. Bendix’s lackluster efforts to bolster the team, exemplified by signing only one declining player, shortstop Tim Anderson, showcased his incompetence. Now, Sherman is permitting Bendix to dismantle Ng’s progress, starting with the misguided trade of star player Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres for questionable prospects and a struggling reliever.
This move reflects Bendix’s misguided judgment and Sherman’s misguided vision of replicating the Rays’ success with a low budget. However, what Sherman fails to grasp is that the Rays prioritize both analytics and traditional scouting, a balance that Bendix lacks. The morale within the Marlins organization has plummeted, evidenced by their embarrassing loss following the Arraez trade.
The Marlins’ decline is particularly disheartening given their beautiful ballpark, yet their dismal attendance and revenue sharing reflect their dwindling appeal under Sherman’s ownership. Fans are expressing their discontent, but Sherman’s broken promises and poor decisions continue to plague the franchise.
In hindsight, allowing Derek Jeter’s ownership group, lacking financial prowess, to take over the Marlins was a grave error by MLB, akin to Fisher relocating the A’s to a smaller market.
