JUPITER, Fla. — Now that the initial shock of Derek Jeter’s abrupt departure as CEO of the Marlins has subsided, a mixture of both relief and uncertainty has settled in at their south Florida spring training complex.
Relief for the many Marlin minions who walked around on eggshells throughout Jeter’s four-plus year tenure as Marlins boss. Uncertainty for Don Mattingly, who is in the final year of his contract as Marlins manager and despite the combined $109 million spent on free agent outfielders Avisail Garcia and Jorge Soler, probably still doesn’t have enough to beat out the Braves, Mets or Phillies in the NL East for a spot in the postseason.
It is still a bit of a mystery as to what prompted Jeter to end his relationship with the Marlins back on Feb. 28. I asked Mattingly the other day if the Jeter exit caught him by surprise as much as it did everyone else and this is what he said: “Absolutely. I had no clue it was coming. He called me the next day, essentially to say goodbye, and that was about it.”
