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Samson: "Wouldn't Shock Me If Marlins Are Sold By End Of Year"

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While the Marlins have come out of the gates and stormed to a 3-3 record, the storyline that will assuredly be playing in the background all season is whether the team will be sold.

Owner Jeffrey Loria supposedly had a "handshake" agreement in place to sell the team earlier this year, but it fell through.

Classic Loria.

It was reported recently that retired New York Yankees great Derek Jeter is interested in possible ownership or part-ownership of the Miami Marlins – but that still sits in the "when I see it, I'll believe it" bin for now.

With those things considered, Marlins team president David Samson said Tuesday that he thinks the team's ownership will change hands before the 2017 season ends.

Loria bought the Marlins back in 2002 for a cool $158.3 million dollars and he's run the franchise into the ground to the point where it's now worth $940 million, according to Forbes.

Loria's asking price sits at about $1.5 billion – or nearly 10 times what originally paid for the franchise – probably citing the Marlins' still fairly new ballpark and a pending local television contract.

Miami readies for its first extended home stand of the season – opening at home against the Atlanta Braves (April 11-12) then welcoming the New York Mets (April 13-16).

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