MIAMI -- The first significant hire by new Marlins chief executive officer Derek Jeter has a tie to the Yankees.
Miami on Tuesday announced Gary Denbo as its new vice president of scouting and player development. The 56-year-old is one of the main architects in building the Yankees' farm system into one of the deepest in the Major Leagues.
Denbo had been the Yankees' vice president of player development since 2014, but Monday was his last day with New York. He now will work alongside Jeter and Michael Hill, who is returning as the Marlins' president of baseball operations.
Bringing in Denbo comes a week after the Marlins were sold by Jeffrey Loria to a group led by Bruce Sherman and Jeter. The official closing on that $1.2 billion transaction came on Oct. 2. The next day, Sherman was introduced as Miami's chairman and principal owner and Jeter assumes the title of chief executive officer.
"We're rebuilding it," Jeter said during a news conference on Oct. 3. "We're putting the right people in place. Everything is strategic, and we have a plan for what we're doing. But at the same time, we have to have patience."
Prior to moving on to Miami, Denbo spent the past eight seasons with the Yankees, the last three as vice president of player development. A former Minor League player, Denbo has 31 years of experience in various coaching, scouting and front office capacities, including two stints as Major League hitting coach.
Miami has endured eight straight losing seasons and comes off a 77-85 campaign, finishing 20 games behind the Nationals in the National League East and 10 games off the pace for the second NL Wild Card spot.
Jeter and Denbo have a long history together. Denbo has spent more than two decades with the Yankees in a variety of positions, managing Jeter in the Minor Leagues and serving as the Yankees' hitting coach in 2001.
The Marlins are seeking to upgrade their organization at all levels. Their farm system has been thinned through the years, and Denbo was instrumental in stockpiling the Yankees' system to become one of the best in the Majors. Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, Greg Bird and Clint Frazier are among the young players on the Yankees' roster who have risen through the system.
All of the Yankees' affiliates, with the exception of one Rookie league club, reached the playoffs in 2017. Their three highest level clubs -- Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Double-A Trenton and Class A Advanced Tampa combined for a 263-153 (.632) record.
Like Jeter, Denbo makes Tampa home.
When Jeter was struggling at the plate in 2011, he spent time with Denbo in Tampa during a June stint on the disabled list and worked on his swing, hitting .331 for the remainder of the season after returning on July 4.
Jim Hendry, a special assistant to GM Brian Cashman, has been rumored to be a candidate to join the Marlins, possibly as GM, but a source said there has been no contract between the two parties.