Jeter's handling of Stanton hints Marlins' front office hasn't changed much

When news emerged that Jeffrey Loria was looking to sell his stake in the Miami Marlins, there was hope that change would come after the exit of arguably the worst owner in the sport - or at least the executive most despised by his team's fans.

Less than two months after the Marlins were sold to a group led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman, with the former New York Yankees great since appointed CEO, it seems that this ownership regime may not be so different from the last one after all.

Before taking over, Jeter reportedly asked David Samson to dismiss four executives, including the well-loved Jeff "Mr. Marlin" Conine. Jeter had also already told Samson he'd be fired from his position as team president. By getting the outgoing Samson to do the firings, Jeter left Loria on the hook for the salaries of those who were dismissed, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports - saving about $5 million.

This happened under the purview of Jeter's reported goal to cut payroll to $90 million - the target he presented to MLB owners when seeking the league's approval to purchase the team.

Under Loria, the Marlins had strapped themselves to bad player contracts on a team that wasn't competitive; some belt-tightening was to be expected. It did seem somewhat odd that a prospective owner would actively clamor to sell assets, thereby lowering the value of the team they are looking to acquire in the short-term, but surely Jeter was simply focused on long-term gains.

Then, once Jeter actually became CEO, it came out before the general manager meetings that he hadn't spoken with Marlins star Giancarlo Stanton at all.

There were conceivable reasons for Jeter to handle the situation this way. As a former player, perhaps Jeter didn't appreciate being contacted by his bosses, and, under his watch, he was going to treat players the way he wanted to be treated during his playing career.

It became much harder to explain Jeter's behavior when he went on to publicly discuss trade possibilities regarding the National League MVP, however, and he officially burned up the benefit of the doubt with the latest report that the Marlins threatened to trade away Stanton's teammates if he doesn't waive his no-trade clause.

Pressuring Stanton to waive a mutually agreed-upon clause in his contract by tying him to the fate of his teammates is, incredibly, both a flagrant act of bad-faith negotiating and a toothless threat - the Marlins, amid a presumed rebuild, should be looking at trading other stars anyway.

Stanton and his agent worked a no-trade clause into his current contract with this eventuality in mind. If he only wants to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers, taking away any leverage the Marlins may have had in trade negotiations, that's his prerogative. When Sherman and Jeter purchased the Marlins, they inherited the entire franchise - including Stanton's no-trade clause.

It's perhaps most troubling to see Jeter reportedly attempting to use a player's no-trade clause against him after spending his entire career with one franchise. Stanton, for his part, has been frank, saying he'd prefer to remain with the only MLB team he's ever played for as long as the Marlins "thoroughly address" their pitching.

Early in Jeter's tenure, it was easier to explain away some of his unusual choices. His latest move, though, casts those decisions in a less flattering light. Jeter should know better - and the fact that he doesn't is an ominous sign that the new Marlins front office may be just as conniving and anti-player as the old one.