As we saw with the Marlins’ sale, when an MLB organization turns over ownership, the ripple effects throughout the league can be really significant, both in terms of the economics of the sale and in terms of the inevitable organizational overhaul.
So this is very big news:
The potential sale of the Royals, which was first reported by The Athletic, would end David Glass’ nearly 20-year ownership of the franchise. He bought the team for $96 million in 2000 and would get more than 10 times that if the deal is finalized.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 27, 2019
ICYMI: @Ken_Rosenthal and @jaysonst on the Royals discussing a sale of the club: https://t.co/VZW3CU5EzV
and @rustindodd on potential buyer John Sherman, a KC businessman and vice chairman of the Cleveland Indians. https://t.co/FfngIHQT49
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) August 28, 2019
This looks like it will be a slightly unusual sale, with the new owner a known quantity to the league (he’s already a minority owner of the Indians), and also being something of a privately-negotiated sale – rather than seeking out a bidder.
Whether a sale will mean an organizational overhaul for the Royals, specifically, remains to be seen. The current org is very happy with their front office, which is going through another rebuild. Maybe Whit Merrifield will accidentally hit the new owner’s car with a ball, and the owner will demand he is traded to the Cubs for the cost of repairs.