BOSTON -- Derek Jeter has spoken often about his desire to call the shots for a Major League Baseball franchise, so his former teammates reacted with little surprise that the retired Yankees captain could soon be one of the voices in charge of the Miami Marlins.
The Miami Herald reported on Tuesday that Jeter is part of a group led by former Florida governor Jeb Bush that is the leading candidate to buy the Marlins for $1.3 billion. Jeter plans to take an active role with the franchise, which is currently owned by Jeffrey Loria, according to the report.
"He'll do whatever it takes to be successful," Brett Gardner said. "I think that as a player who had so much success in the game, he knows a lot more about the inside of the clubhouse as far as life as a player. I'm sure he'll surround himself with the right people from the business side of things. No matter what he's involved in, I have no doubt that he'll be successful."
As Gardner spoke, he sat at the same locker that Jeter used for his final Major League game on Sept. 28, 2014. A five-time World Series winner who retired with 3,465 hits, Jeter's name is synonymous with the Yankees brand, and Gardner said that it would be strange to see him so closely affiliated with a different organization.
"I guess you can't sit around and wait for the Yankees to come up for sale," Gardner said. "I think he's obviously got strong ties to the state of Florida and Miami is a great city. I'm sure he's going to do well with it."
Carsten Sabathia said that he spoke frequently with Jeter about his ownership aspirations, and expects Jeter to make an easy transition from the field to the front office.
"He's old. This is what he wants to do," Sabathia said. "He's retired. He's done playing. He's playing golf every day, he's doing this thing with The Players' Tribune. I don't think it'll be hard at all. This is something that he wanted to do. It's good for him. I think he'll be good at it."
Jeter has said that his management model would draw from some of his experiences playing under late owner George M. Steinbrenner. Yankees manager Joe Girardi said that he could see Jeter attempting to create a Yankees-like atmosphere, while replicating some aspects of Steinbrenner's famed hands-on demeanor.
"It'll be interesting how he handles it," Girardi said. "You don't necessarily have a part in it. You don't have a bat, you can't make a play. I'm sure he'll find it much different when he does it on a full-time basis."
Girardi wondered how many games Jeter would attend and if he would travel with the team. Sabathia noted that "great players don't always translate to great executives," but he believes Jeter will lend something unique to the Marlins.
"I think Jeet has a lot to offer," Sabathia said. "I think it's great for the sport."
While Jeter appears to be taking his talents to South Beach, the former Yankees captain can plan on having at least one more big moment in The Bronx. The Yankees have scheduled Derek Jeter Day for May 14 at Yankee Stadium, when they will retire his uniform No. 2 and unveil his Monument Park plaque.
"I didn't really see the Yankees coming up for sale anytime soon," Girardi said. "He took the first opportunity, but I think he'll always be considered a Yankee."