Report: Marlins' payroll to be reduced after Jeter's group takes over

If fans of the Miami Marlins expect Derek Jeter to become some kind of franchise hero - similar to his time with the New York Yankees - when his group takes over the team, they could be in for a surprise.

An unnamed potential investor who was briefed by the Bruce Sherman/Derek Jeter group this past summer told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald they spoke of reducing payroll from $115 million to potentially as low as $55 million.

The payroll will only go that low if the Marlins are able to trade outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, otherwise payroll could be reduced to between $80-85 million.

Whether or not those numbers have changed since then remains to be seen, according to Jackson, but the same source tells him the group has said the franchise cannot afford to have a high payroll considering they're on pace to lose more than $50 million this season.

If the Marlins decide to keep Stanton, getting to the $80-85 million mark may be difficult with a number of other players owed large salaries, while Jackson also lists a number of other factors - including the salaries of executives and low stadium revenues - as problems.

*Salaries courtesy of spotrac.