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Report: Jeter, Bush trying to raise nearly $1 billion in cash for Marlins

Jim McIsaac / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The sale of the Miami Marlins isn't a done deal yet.

Though the 1.34-billion bid spearheaded by New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter and former Florida governor Jeb Bush has emerged as the most likely to purchase the Marlins from current owner Jeffrey Loria, the sale can't be completed yet as the pair are still attempting to raise nearly $1 billion in cash from outside investors to fund the purchase, sources told Charles Gasparino and Brian Schwartz of FOX Business.

Despite needing an unimaginable amount in cash to complete the acquisition, both Jeter and Bush want to remain principal owners of the team, adding an obvious obstacle to their potential bid.

"How many people are willing simply to write a $100-million check and not have a say in running the team?" a senior baseball executive told Gasparino and Schwartz. "We all want them to succeed because Jeb and Jeter would be great for baseball, but it won't be easy."

That Jeter and Bush's bid would be good for baseball is almost an understatement. The Yankees - Jeter's former employers for 20 seasons between 1995-2014 - would see their value rise from $3.2 billion to approximately $5 billion if the duo's $1.34-billion bid for the Marlins goes through, according to Gasparino and Schwartz's sources.

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