Marlins, Dominican Professional Baseball League announce partnership

MIAMI -- The Marlins and Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) announced a multi-year, strategic partnership on Friday afternoon at loanDepot park. Details of what it might entail have yet to be unveiled.

Marlins president of business operations Caroline O’Connor and Dominican Professional Baseball League president Vitelio Mejía Ortiz were on hand along with representatives from each Dominican Republic Winter League team.

“We're here today in loanDepot park -- what we fondly call the home of baseball,” O’Connor said. “We've been very honored to host over the past two years significant international baseball with the World Baseball Classic in 2023 and the Caribbean Series in 2024.

“Over the past two years, we've had almost one million fans through this building to celebrate and enjoy international baseball, and we're proud today to announce that we'll be entering into a long-term agreement with LIDOM to continue to bring that amazing baseball here to loanDepot park.”

The Marlins and LIDOM were two parts of the 2024 Caribbean Series, organized by Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe (CBPC), in which the leagues of Venezuela, Puerto Rico, México, Panamá, Cura?ao and Nicaragua also participated. A record 340,000-plus fans attended the annual tournament, which was held at an MLB venue for the first time.

Ortiz said LIDOM is active in promoting its brand and moving forward, something he believes will happen with the partnership.

“We know that in the Dominican Republic, a lot consider us the country of baseball or the country with the best players in [the] sport,” Ortiz said via interpreter Will Nadal. “And one of the things that we talk about is having an MLB stadium in the Dominican Republic. Even though that's something that might be coming soon in the next year or so, it's something in this partnership that we've ventured with with the Miami Marlins, we feel that now we have a stadium in the Major Leagues.”