You’ve probably heard the “Mystery Team” thing around free agent and trade deadline time. It was a term invented by Jon Heyman at the 2010 Winter Meetings in Florida. That’s when he published a rumor in Sports Illustrated that then-free agent Cliff Lee was being courted by “the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees and a third mystery team.” He added — and I am not making this up — that “the mystery team remains a mystery and is also seen as a long shot.”
That was initially seen as a joke — and by some as Heyman trying to sound plugged in when he didn’t know anything — but he showed all of them when, the very next day, Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies who were, in fact, the “Mystery Team.” With that a meme was born, and Heyman has owned it since then, mostly ironically, but certainly as a part of his personal brand. I’ve long been critical of Heyman for a lot of things, but the “mystery team” thing is kind of fun, actually. Takes some of the seriousness out of all of this.
Heyman may be extending his brand from free agents and trade targets to owners now. He doesn’t use the phrase “mystery bidder” in his latest report today about a potential new suitor for the Miami Marlins, but he really should have:
While people involved with sale talks involving the Marlins continue to suggest that one of the two leading groups – the Derek Jeter group and the Tagg Romney-Tom Glavine group – are “most likely” to win the team through negotiation, sources suggest that at least one other viable prospect owner has entered the picture . . . The third viable owner is not known at this time.
Heyman says that, according to Rob Manfred, a new Marlins owner could be in place by the end of next month. He’s also spending some time in there beating back rumors that the Marlins’ books are a mess, but there are few details. Based on well-reported stuff from places like the Miami New Times over the years, I sort of doubt those books look great, but what do I know?
Anyway, good job on the brand extension, Jon, and good luck to whoever is going up against Jeter and Glavine. Most people in competition with those two didn’t get the best of them.