Miami billionaire Jorge Mas is looking for investors to join his bid for the Miami Marlins baseball team, three sources close to the situation told The Post.
The decision by Mas to seek outside money so he can assume less of the cost and risk himself follows weeks of due diligence whereby he got a close look at the books of the money-losing franchise, sources said.
The Marlins could lose $70 million this season, a source said.
That is good news for Yankees legend Derek Jeter and his bidding group, who are seen as the co-favorites in the long-running contest to buy the team, a source said.
Besides the Mas and Jeter teams, hedge fund mogul Wayne Rothbaum is leading a third bidding group that had, until recently, included Tagg Romney.
The Marlins owner, New York art dealer Jeffrey Loria, is expected to choose a favored bidder next month, a source said.
Loria is presently seeking $1.2 billion, which is a 33 percent drop from his initial $1.8 billion asking price, sources said.
Mas, whose fortune is estimated at more than $2 billion, had been lying in wait for months, hoping the owner of the Marlins would cut his asking price.
Working with investment bankers, he did not make his move until about 30 days ago, sources said.
He then studied the Marlins’ books for the first time.
Mas unsuccessfully put pressure on Loria to enter into exclusive negotiations, perhaps so he could scare away other bidders and get the price lowered, a source said.
Some of the bidders are hoping they might be able to reduce Marlins losses by forming Miami’s first regional sports network and teaming with the Dolphins, sources said.
However, Fox Sports has the rights to broadcast Marlins games until 2020.
Mas could not be reached for comment.