Derek Jeter’s tenure as CEO and co-owner of the Miami Marlins is off to a somewhat troubling start.
Marty Scott, a Marlins team scout who formerly served as vice president and is in need of a kidney transplant, was informed Oct. 16 that the team would not renew his contract, 15 days before the contract actually was set to expire, Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan reported Friday. Furthermore, Scott learned of the team’s decision while he laid in a hospital bed, days after having a cancerous tumor removed from his colon.
Scott, who’s worked in baseball for over 40 years, reportedly never heard from Jeter or any of the Marlins’ upper management about the decision, and actually was informed of it by pro scouting director Jim Cuthbert.
“My heart sank a little bit,” said Scott, who had been wondering about his job status, about seeing Cuthbert’s name on the caller ID, per Passan. “At the same time, I thought, ‘They’re not going to do this while I’m in the hospital.’
“I didn’t want to get upset, get my blood pressure up. I was lying in a hospital bed and couldn’t move.”
While Scott, 64, said he understands the business side of the decision, the way it was handled still bothered him.
“Derek Jeter doesn’t owe me anything,” Scott told Passan. “Probably in their hearts they did what they thought was right. I know based on certain aspects of the game, I probably was making too much money. But we all love the game. We’re all in it together. I just think 40 years was worth more than a spank on the butt and see you later.
“I’m very hurt. Forty years in baseball, I let a lot of people go. I never, ever fired somebody 10 days, 15 days before their contract was up. If I knew I was going to fire somebody, I did it at the beginning of September.”
Passan notes that a team spokesman said letting Scott go was a “baseball-operations decision” overseen by president Michael Hill. Furthermore, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reached out to a spokesperson, who also attempted to separate Jeter from the controversy.
Regardless of who’s responsible for the decision, you can add this to the list of recent head-scratching moves made by the Jeter-led Marlins.
Since he and Bruce Sherman purchased the Marlins in August, Jeter reportedly has fired multiple baseball-operations officials and reduced the roles of four front-office figures who are popular within the organization. Moreover, he’s made no secret about his desire to slash the Marlins’ payroll and has sought financial assistance from outside investors in help with getting the team’s finances under control.
And, of course, he appears on the verge of trading Giancarlo Stanton, one of the most popular players in franchise history.
