CC Sabathia Says Derek Jeter Was 'Pissed' at Marlins Ownership Before Resigning

Nick Castellanos may have been a key figure in the divorce between the Miami Marlins and former CEO Derek Jeter.

CC Sabathia said on his podcast R2C2 with CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco that his former New York Yankees teammate wanted to sign the veteran slugger and indicated that Miami ownership's reluctance to spend the necessary money played a part in Jeter's decision to step down (h/t Logan Mullen of Audacy):

"[Castellanos is] a beast. I know Jeter wanted him bad. "

"The Marlins are the Marlins. No matter what you try to do to make them better, at the end of the day there's just always been bad ownership. Jeter did everything he could, he lined everything up for him and this is the year you sign Castellanos. They've got a bunch of pitching, Jazz Chisholm is a star, you've got Miguel Rojas playing short. Seems good, like really good, he built a really good team. The minor league organization is great, but it's just time to spend money."

"I just feel bad for him because I know how much time he put into that and how serious he took that job and I know he's pissed. Yeah, it sucks, but the Marlins are the Marlins."

Jeter, 47, bought a 4 percent share in the Marlins in 2017 as a part of an investment group and was named the CEO. Bruce Sherman bought a 46 percent stake and is the chairman and principal owner of the organization.

But in February, Jeter stepped down and gave up his ownership stake. He said in a statement:

"We had a vision five years ago to turn the Marlins franchise around, and as CEO, I have been proud to put my name and reputation on the line to make our plan a reality. Through hard work, trust and accountability, we transformed every aspect of the franchise, reshaping the workforce, and developing a long-term strategic plan for success."

"That said, the vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead. Now is the right time for me to step aside as a new season begins."

He was entering the final year of a five-year contract as CEO. 

In Jeter's four years as CEO, the team went 218-327, reaching the playoffs once in 2020's pandemic-shortened season. Optimism around the team's young talent followed that campaign, but the Marlins went 67-95 last year. 

During Jeter's tenure, Miami traded stars like Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna and J.T. Realmuto to help restock a thin farm system. Prospects who have come up through that system, like Sandy Alcantara and Chisholm, have formed the foundation of an intriguing young core.

But Sabathia believes Jeter was ready to add to that core with veteran talent like Castellanos, who had a career year in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds, hitting .309 with 34 homers, 100 RBI and 95 runs. He won't come cheap, however, and it's possible the Marlins—famous for being adverse to spending—balked at the cost. 

Per Spotrac, the team's 2022 payroll sits at $55.7 million, 27th in Major League Baseball. Last year, it ended at $58.2 million. To put that in perspective, Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout has a $37.1 million salary this season.