CC Sabathia says Derek Jeter was ‘pissed’ at Marlins for not spending money

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When Derek Jeter stepped down as Marlins CEO and sold his 4% ownership stake on Feb. 28, it came as a shock to those around the league.

Just under five years into his tenure, Jeter exited the organization, alluding to the reason for his departure in his exit statement.

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"The vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead," Jeter said, via PR Newswire.

Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter speaks to the media before the start of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at loanDepot park on October 02, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Eric Espada/Getty Images)

And now, CC Sabathia, former Yankee teammate from 2009-14, said the reason why Jeter left is because he wanted to make a run at free agent outfielder Nick Castellanos. Sabathia told the R2C2 podcast with Ryan Ruocco that the Marlins weren’t willing to pony up the cash for Castellanos’ signature.

Castellanos is one of the big names remaining on the market, coming off a career season in 2021 with the Reds. The 30-year-old had a slash line of .309/.362/.576 with 34 home runs and 100 RBIs.

"[Castellanos] is a beast," Sabathia said, via the New York Post. "I know Jeter wanted him bad. The Marlins are the Marlins. No matter what you try to do to make them better, at the end of the day there’s just always been bad ownership. Jeter did everything he could, he lined everything up for him and this is the year you sign Castellanos.

Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter watches during a spring training baseball game against the Houston Astros, Friday, March 5, 2021, in Jupiter, Fla. Jeter announced a surprise departure from the