JUPITER, Fla. _ For the first time, the Miami Marlins acknowledged that the team is for sale and owner Jeffrey Loria is a candidate to be the U.S. ambassador to France _ two possibilities that are not connected, team president David Samson said.
Samson said Friday afternoon that the Marlins' talks with the Kushner family to purchase the Marlins are over, as the Kushner family itself said in a statement earlier this week.
The Kushner statement cited Loria's potential ambassadorship as reason to cut of negotiations, perhaps to avoid a conflict of interest or the appearance of one. Joshua Kusher, one of two family members who led the group, is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser.
"It's absolutely two separate things," Samson said. "There was a statement made by the Kushner family that sort of tied them together. I don't view that (as necessary). I believe that discussions that we were having with Josh Kushner about buying the team are over now."
Do the Marlins have other potential buyers?
"Oh yes," Samson said. "There are many groups who are interested. We field offers often. The difference now is those offers are being looked at very seriously.
"I have great respect for Josh. I enjoyed the process of getting to know Josh and Joseph and the process that didn't come to a final conclusion. And that's how it goes. That's not an uncommon thing that deals don't happen. That is normal.
"For me, that deal didn't happen. A different deal may happen or will happen."
Samson also said Loria, who donated a reported $125,000 to Trump's campaign, is under consideration to be the U.S. ambassador to France.
"He is in the process right now," Samson said. "It is a long, complicated process. He certainly feels honored to even be in that process, as anyone I think would."
