Derek Jeter is under fire for the baffling Giancarlo Stanton trade just 2 months after buying the Marlins
- In two months as owner of the Miami Marlins, Derek Jeter has been criticized for his handling of the team.
- Many in the baseball world felt the Marlins didn't get enough in return for sending Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees.
- The move came after Jeter was criticized for his handling of some long-time team employees.
Following the blockbuster trade that sent Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees, Derek Jeter is under fire as owner of the Miami Marlins.
On Saturday, the Yankees and Marlins agreed to a trade that sent Stanton, the reigning National League MVP, to the Yankees for infielder Starlin Castro and minor-leaguers Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers.
Across the baseball world, many felt the Marlins' return was weak for baseball's best slugger. Castro, Guzman, and Devers are all considered good players, but the Marlins failed to land any of the Yankees' top minor-league prospects or even one of their better rotational players.
The optics of the deal weren't great, either. Some raised their eyebrows at Jeter, a Yankees great, sending one of the best players in baseball to the Yankees in a favorable deal for New York. Though Stanton owned a no-trade clause and reportedly turned down deals to the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals, some felt Jeter and the Marlins played their hand poorly.
According to ESPN's Andrew Marchand, two executives said the proper way to handle the Stanton trade would have been to get a list of the teams he wanted to go to, then work out the most favorable trade. Instead, it looked like Jeter panicked and took the first deal he could get from a team on Stanton's list.
Making matters worse, Jeter seemed to suggest in a conference call that he offered to keep Stanton, but Stanton wanted out, forcing the Marlins to make a move. This comes after reports that Stanton and Jeter hadn't talked since Jeter took over the team in September.
When Stanton turned down trades to the Giants and Cardinals, the Marlins reportedly threatened to keep Stanton in a rebuilding situation until at least 2020, when he has an opt-out in his contract.
"You can say that and expect me to jump if it is not the right situation for me," Stanton said while being introduced to the Yankees. "It doesn't matter what the dynamic was. You are not going to force me to do anything, regardless."
Jeter was also criticized for not attending his first MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida.
He was then seen at the "Monday Night Football" game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.
USA Today noted that owners don't typically attend the Winter Meetings, but many felt Jeter should be there, given the major turn-over in the Marlins.
In general, Jeter's stewardship has been in question since taking over the team. He reportedly fired some long-time employees, including one who was still in the hospital following surgery to remove cancer, then reached back out to them to offer them different positions with little explanation of why they were fired and then brought back.
It's been a bumpy beginning for the first-time executive, and it comes at a time when the Marlins not only don't seem close to ending their 14-year postseason draught, but seem to be going the other way.