Derek Jeter appears to be the favorite to buy the Marlins again and he is getting some help from Michael Jordan

Noam Galai/Getty Images for TechCrunch

As Miami prepares to host the MLB All Star game on Tuesday night, the competition between parties interested in buying the Marlins has intensified.

In the most recent development of the saga, it appears that a group led by Derek Jeter is once again in position to place the winning bid for the franchise.

According to a recent report from the New York Post, the Jeter-led group is closing in on a deal to buy the Marlins from Jeffrey Loria for $1.2 billion.

For a moment, it appeared that Jeter’s group was going to fall short of putting together a large enough bid to land the Marlins, after Chicago billionaire Richard Chaifetz left the group. But between the group of around 15 investors that includes Michael Jordan and billionaire Bruce Sherman, Jeter was able to form what appears to be the largest bid so far proposed to Loria.

The report comes just a day after a group led by Cuban-American and Miami native billionaire Jorge Mas was reported as putting together an offer for “around $1.17 billion.” Another potential buying group fronted by Tagg Romney, son of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney that includes Jeb Bush and Pitbull as investors reportedly also put together a deal that is for less than the $1.2 billion proposed by Jeter.

All three bids currently fall well below Loria’s initial asking price of $1.3 billion, but a deal is still expected to arrive some time next week.