Miami Marlins sold to Jorge Mas according to report; club “vehemently” denies

The Miami Marlins have been sold, according to at least one reputable source.

Mike Oznanian of Forbes broke the news earlier this evening that the team had been sold to local Cuban-American businessman Jorge Mas for a reported $1.17 billion dollars. The figure falls short of Jeff Loria’s initial desired price of $1.3 billion but still leaves Loria overall with a tremendous profit (Loria bought the Marlins in 2002 from now Red Sox owner John Henry for $158 million dollars).

Mas came into the scene relatively late after more prominent public bids from the likes of Derek Jeter, Jeb Bush, Tagg Romney and Wayne Rothbaum. Mas is the chairman and co-founder of MasTec, an engineering and construction company based in Coral Gables, Florida. He immediately became a top contender in the quest to purchase the Marlins due to his personal wealth (estimated at over $2 billion) and his deep ties to the Miami community.

It’s unlikely that the Marlins or MLB wanted the news to come out this swiftly, so predictably, denials have been swiftly issued:

Regardless of whether or not a deal is in place, it seems that the long, drawn out process is finally coming to a close. Stay tuned to Fish Stripes for the latest news regarding the sale (oh yeah, and the Home Run Derby is about to take place in Marlins Park, I’m told).