Bruce Sherman interview: Marlins owner on playoff push, culture change & more

[Kevin Barral - Isaac Azout]

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In the midst of his ninth season leading the Miami Marlins, Bruce Sherman makes his long awaited Fish Unfiltered debut. The franchise's chairman, principal owner & control person joins Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral to discuss his business successes and remaining goals, the Marlins' 2026 performance on the field, his trust in Peter Bendix, his admiration for Sandy Alcantara and his message to fans who aren't yet convinced that the Fish can contend with MLB's lowest payroll.

You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods.

 

Sherman is fast approaching his ninth anniversary of becoming the Marlins' control person. The team has twice qualified for the MLB postseason during that span (2020 and 2023), and coming out of the All-Star break, they hold the National League's third wild-card spot. However, the Marlins rank 27th in overall winning percentage, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies.

Player payroll has decreased under Sherman's watch, especially when adjusting for inflation. Miami's projected payroll of $75 million this season is easily the league's lowest, per Roster Resource.

Despite that, Sherman insists that the franchise is in excellent health financially. To that end, his ownership group spent $1.2 billion to acquire the Marlins in 2017, but a recent transaction involving new minority owners was reportedly based on an updated $1.55 billion valuation. Also, he attributes spending in the areas of technology and player development to the uptick in winning that the Fish have enjoyed dating back to last summer.

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[THOMAS JOSEPH]

We fans rarely care about who the owners of our favorite teams are. Everything is results-driven. Since baseball is, at the most basic level, just another form of entertainment, winning regular season games is important for revenue, overall interest, and playoff positioning. The new CBA may truly help teams like the Marlins compete in the inequitable system, but if it doesn't, Sherman, Bendix, and their organization do deserve tentative kudos for overachieving.