Miami Marlins

With new ownership leading the organization, the Miami Marlins are reportedly ready to hear trade offers for Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon and Martin Prado. 

ESPN's Buster Olney reported the Marlins have indicated to other teams they will listen to deals for that trio, but not Christian Yelch or Marcell Ozuna right now. 

Putting Stanton, Gordon and Prado on the trade block is a move that has been expected from the Marlins. 

Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reported Oct. 30 that the Marlins came up with a "preferred path" to get their payroll down to $90 million next season, with Stanton, Gordon and Prado mentioned as trade candidates. 

Stanton signed the richest contract in Major League Baseball history with the Marlins in 2014, a 13-year deal worth $325 million. It's heavily backloaded with the annual salary rising from $14.5 million in 2017 to $25 million next season and up to $32 million from 2023-25, per Spotrac. 

Coming off an MVP-caliber season with an MLB-leading 59 home runs and .631 slugging percentage, Stanton's trade value is likely as high as it has ever been. 

Gordon and Prado are the only other Marlins position players who will make at least $10 million next season. Prado had a disappointing 2017 with injuries limiting him to 37 games and a .250/.279/.357 slash line. Gordon set career-highs in games played (158) and stolen bases (60) with a .308/.341/.375 slash line. 

Ichiro Suzuki's three-year stint as a member of the Miami Marlins has come to an end.

The Marlins announced Friday they have declined Suzuki's team option for 2018, making him a free agent.

Suzuki was essentially playing on a roll-over contract with team options for the Marlins over the past year. At the time the team picked up his option last year, then-team president David Samson explained why they added a 2018 option worth $2 million to Suzuki's deal.

"The reason for the option in 2018 is he wants to play until he's 50," Samson told reporters. "He's told me. He's serious. I think he probably will play until he's 50, and that's fine by us."

Per Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, the decision to decline Suzuki's option could be the first domino to fall as the Marlins' new owners attempt to lower the payroll to around $90 million.

After hitting .291/.354/.376 in 143 games during the 2016 season, Suzuki seemed like he might be able to play until he was 50. The 10-time All-Star didn't have as much success in 2017, hitting .255/.318/.332 in 136 games as he was largely relegated to pinch-hitting duties with a career-low 196 at-bats.

At 44 years old, Suzuki is the second-oldest active player in Major League Baseball. Bartolo Colon, who was born in May 1973, is five months older than the 2001 American League MVP.

The Miami Marlins are reportedly looking to trade a number of players, including slugger Giancarlo Stanton, as they attempt to shed salary.

On Monday, Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reported Miami's new ownership—which includes New York Yankees great Derek Jeter—wants to trim the payroll to $90 million from the $140 million it would be if the roster were kept intact.

Jackson and Spencer cited sources who said the Marlins want to trade Stanton and the $25 million he is owed next season, as well as infielders Dee Gordon and Martin Prado, to facilitate the salary reduction.  

If Miami trades all three, it will subtract $49 million from the payroll before accounting for the salaries of acquired players.

Stanton is the name that immediately jumps out, but Gordon, 29, is a two-time All-Star and has a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and batting title on his resume. He slashed .308/.341/.375 with 60 stolen bases last season and would provide an immediate boost on the bases and in the middle of the infield for a number of suitors.

As for Stanton, this report comes after Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports said the San Francisco Giants were "viewed among the preferred destinations" for the outfielder. That is notable considering Stanton holds a no-trade clause.

He is coming off a spectacular 2017 campaign that saw him slash .281/.376/.631 with 59 home runs and 132 RBI, but there are contract concerns beyond just the 2018 season. According to Spotrac, his yearly total increases to $26 million for 2019 and 2020 before player options from 2021-27.

His contract will climb as high as $32 million a year during that span (2023-25).

Stanton isn't the only rumored player where the contract would be an issue. Jackson and Spencer called it "highly questionable" the Marlins could trade Prado and the $28.5 million he's owed over the next two years. He is 34 years old and played a mere 37 games in 2017 due to injury.

Jeff Conine said Thursday that he parted ways with the Miami Marlins organization after he was offered a lesser role and less pay by part owner Derek Jeter.

According to Clark Spencer and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Conine said the following about his departure: "To say I'm disappointed, that I won't have a role in this organization, yeah, I'm disappointed."

Conine spent parts of eight seasons with the Marlins as a player and had been serving as a special assistant to former team president David Samson.

Nicknamed "Mr. Marlin," Conine was part of the organization's two World Series wins in 1997 and 2003 as an outfielder and first baseman.

Despite his departure, Conine said he is still hopeful the Marlins are destined for big things: "I spent 7.5 years as a player and the last nine years as someone working with the organization. I've always considered myself a Marlin. I'm a member of this community. I want to see them win again. I want to see them get back to the World Series and the playoffs."

Conine was an All-Star for the Marlins in 1994 and 1995, and he finished his 17-year MLB playing career with a .285 batting average, 214 home runs and 1,071 RBI.

Per Spencer and Jackson, Conine was fired along with fellow special assistants Jack McKeon, Tony Perez and Andre Dawson in September, but Conine, Perez and Dawson were reportedly all offered roughly half of their previous $100,000 annual salaries to return.

Miami is coming off a 77-85 season, and it hasn't reached the playoffs since winning the World Series as the Florida Marlins in 2003.

Miami Marlins co-owner Derek Jeter announced Saturday the MLB organization is donating $200,000 to aid hurricane relief efforts.

Andy Slater of WINZ passed along the news.

The Marlins previously held a relief drive with Feeding South Florida and American Red Cross in early September to collect items and donations following Hurricane Harvey, which caused major destruction in Texas, per Tim Healey of the Sun Sentinel.

Hurricane Irma proceeded to strike Florida and Hurricane Maria left devastation across Puerto Rico later in September as part of an active Atlantic hurricane season.

Julia Horowitz of CNN Money noted Moody's Analytics estimated damage from Harvey and Irma at over $150 billion. Nicole Friedman of the Wall Street Journal added Maria caused insured damages of up to $85 billion.

Former Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria drew criticism last month for failing to announce a donation to relief efforts like the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers after Irma moved through the Southeast.

Jeter, along with a group that also features Bruce Sherman, took ownership of the club in late September.

New Miami Marlins owner Derek Jeter reportedly won't stop any of his players from kneeling during the national anthem.

On Wednesday, Zach Braziller of the New York Post reported Jeter said he wouldn't take issue with the Marlins protesting racial inequality by kneeling during the song.

Mark Townsend of Yahoo Sports noted the comments came when Jeter was speaking at a Turn 2 Foundation charity event. Townsend also pointed out Jeter has spoken out about racism he dealt with growing up and has publicly supported Colin Kaepernick in the past.

Kneeling during the national anthem has been a primary talking point in the NFL ever since Kaepernick first started doing so last year as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. While he doesn't have a team this season as a free agent, many players have done the same in 2017.

That has especially been the case since President Donald Trump inserted himself into the topic by saying at a rally NFL owners should "get that son of a bitch off the field right now" if a player kneels. He has also repeatedly used his Twitter account to discuss the topic.

As for Major League Baseball, only Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell has knelt during the anthem to this point.

Even though the issue hasn't been as prevalent in his league, Jeter's comments as a team owner stand out after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his players would be benched if they knelt during the anthem. However, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that Jones "said his stance on the national anthem protests was rooted in a desire to play the bad guy and deflect attention from the players."

Jeter, on the other hand, is apparently fine with his players kneeling during the anthem and didn't feel the need to issue a threat like Jones did.

Just weeks after apparently deciding to fire four esteemed consultants with the Miami Marlins, Derek Jeter has reportedly changed his mind.

According to Barry Jackson and Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, Jeter informed the team a plan to remove Andre Dawson, Tony Perez, Jack McKeon and Jeff Conine, who all have various front office roles within the organization.

However, Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reported Wednesday there was a change of heart. Jeter reportedly called all four men to tell them there would be roles for them going forward.

There are conflicting reports about whether the team's new part-owner changed his mind or there was a miscommunication with Marlins President David Samson, who had been tasked with informing the four baseball veterans of their firings.

Jeter's group, with principal owner Bruce Sherman, finalized its purchase of the team Monday from Jeffrey Loria for $1.2 billion. The former Yankees shortstop was named team CEO.

While he has the ability to make firing and hiring decisions, all four of those fired were highly respected members of the baseball community and especially within the Marlins organization.

Perez and Dawson were Hall of Fame players, with Dawson ending his career with the Marlins and Perez spending time there as a coach. McKeon was the team's manager in the most recent World Series title in 2003, while Conine was a part of both championships in 1997 and 2003. He spent seven years in Florida and only Luis Castillo has played more games for the franchise.

Regardless of what type of contributions they make behind the scenes, keeping all four within the organization could represent a big step toward easing the transition to new ownership.

On Tuesday, Derek Jeter made his first public comments since the ownership group he is a part of purchased the Miami Marlins for $1.2 billion, but he apparently wasn't ready to commit one way or the other regarding Giancarlo Stanton's future.

"We do have to rebuild the organization," Jeter said, per ESPN.com. "It starts with player development and scouting. We will build it from top down and bottom up."

While the New York Yankees legend admitted there may be some "unpopular decisions" during the rebuilding process, he gave a neutral answer when discussing Stanton.

"I don't know [Stanton] well," Jeter said. "I haven't spoken to the players. I haven't spoken to him. Anything we're going to do moving forward with the organization, I will discuss with [team president Mike Hill]."

Jeter may be discussing personnel moves with others in the front office, but he holds enough sway for the team's official Twitter account to usher in his welcoming as "a new era":

Jeter's rebuilding comments juxtapose against Stanton's declaration he made to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

"I don't want to rebuild," Stanton said. "I've lost for seven years."

There is no question Stanton is a generational talent and the face of the Marlins franchise at this point. The four-time All-Star slashed .281/.376/.631 with 59 home runs and 132 RBI this season and is in the middle of his prime at just 27 years old.

However, the Marlins have finished with a losing record every single season since he was a rookie in 2010 and haven't reached the playoffs since the 2003 season, when they defeated Jeter's Yankees in the World Series.

What's more, the ESPN.com report pointed out Stanton is a mere three years into a 13-year, $325 million deal that is so backloaded he is still owed $285 million. That is a significant salary, especially for a team that lost money during the 2017 campaign, per ESPN.com.

Building around Stanton is one option, but trading away a salary like his could allow the Marlins to rebuild in a number of different areas as they enter the Jeter era.

Miami Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton said Friday he doesn't want to go through another rebuilding process with the organization.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports passed along comments Stanton made about the team's outlook amid "clubhouse buzz" the new ownership group could look to rebuild.

"I don't want to rebuild. ... I've lost for seven years," he said.

Stanton previously commented on the Marlins' direction in July after the front office traded closer AJ Ramos in exchange for two prospects. He was upset with the message sent by that and similar moves, per Craig Davis of the Sun Sentinel.

"Every trade for minor leaguers is two or three years away from seeing the result of that trade," the slugger said. "That means two or three years of every person taken away is a couple years until you realize what that means."

He added: "The same thing every year."

On Wednesday, Mike Ozanian of Forbes noted MLB approved the sale of the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria to a group featuring Bruce Sherman and former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter for $1.2 billion.

In early September, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported a potential investor who had been briefed on the new owners' plans said they planned to cut payroll from $115 million to around either $85 million (if Stanton is not traded) or $55 million (if Stanton is traded).

The MLB home run leader's contract calls for him to make $25 million in 2018. If the Marlins keep him on the roster and stick to an $85 million payroll, they will only have around $60 million for the remaining players, suggesting a fire sale could be on the horizon.

Heyman reported Stanton, who possesses a full no-trade clause, is "ready to go" if the new owners move forward with a long-term rebuilding project.

Ichiro Suzuki reiterated Friday that he would like to play in MLB through his 50th birthday.

According to ESPN.com, the 43-year-old told reporters he has his sights set on playing to "at least 50" and that he would prefer to return to the Miami Marlins next season.

It's the same sentiment Ichiro expressed in March.

"I'm not joking when I say it," he said then, according to the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer.

Ichiro's not the everyday outfielder he once was, as evidenced by his career-low 212 plate appearances this season, but he has remained effective as a situational hitter.

According to ESPN.com, Ichiro—who's batting .259 in 2017—needs one more pinch hit to tie the single-season MLB record of 28 set by John Vander Wal in 1995.

And while he's been limited to 50 hits this season, Ichiro has made history by steadily climbing MLB's all-time hits list and passing Hall of Famers Ricky Henderson and Craig Biggio.

Now 22nd all time with 3,080 hits, Ichiro also eclipsed Rod Carew for the most MLB hits by any player born outside the United States.

Looking ahead, the 17-year veteran may have to convince incoming Marlins CEO and former teammate Derek Jeter he's worthy of a roster spot as the franchise undergoes wholesale changes.

But with an affordable $2 million team option for 2018, Ichiro can make a compelling case regarding his future in South Florida.

"There's no reason not to be back," he said. "It's definitely a place I would want to be."