MIAMI -- Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria offered a curt assessment of his strained relationship with manager Joe Girardi, which may mean the two will soon part company.

"Managers obviously have some input during the course of the season ... but what's important is the product that's put on the field by the baseball department as well."
Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria

"Everything is, you know, it's fine," Loria said Saturday. "But I don't want to talk about it."

Addressing his rift with Girardi for the first time since it became public three weeks ago, Loria repeatedly tried to steer the conversation away from the subject. He declined to endorse the job Girardi has done in his first year as manager, even though baseball's youngest team has far exceeded expectations.

When told his comments might fuel the perception Girardi won't return next season, Loria told reporters: "If you guys want to come to those conclusions, OK. As far as I'm concerned, the only focus for me and the fans should be what's on the field, personalities aside.
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