NEWSLETTER
Is there a run on Major League Baseball teams? With the Washington Nationals in the process of being sold, the Los Angeles Angels now hitting the block, and recent sales/ownership redistributions of the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland Guardians, it kinda feels like it’s a mad rush for some owners to capitalize on a hot market.
Are there more coming?
Well, get this from Jon Heyman:
With MLB team valuations way up, more teams may come up for sale ….
There’s been speculation the next two teams to come up for sale may be the Orioles, though there is no confirmation on that, and White Sox. The Orioles-owning brothers John and Lou Angelos are suing each other, so a sale there might be a good idea.
There’s been a rumor that Jerry Reinsdorf might consider selling the White Sox. Though that’s unconfirmed, when I reached out to Reinsdorf by email, he responded, “Make me an offer?” I am not reading too much into that, though — while we both went to Northwestern, he knows I was in Medill for journalism.
The joke response from Reinsdorf isn’t really the notable thing there. Instead, it’s the mention of the White Sox being among the two teams most speculated about as next coming on the block, and then the specific mention of a rumor that Reinsdorf might consider selling.
Reinsdorf, 86, has owned the White Sox since 1981, making himself into one of the most-tenured and more-influential owners in the sport along the way. His reputation is … mixed … but there is no argument that if he were to depart, it would be dramatic not only for the White Sox, but also the sport in general. It’s a league of 30 owners, but Reinsdorf has long had an outsized impact on the direction of MLB.
For the Cubs fans among us, there is also just the persistent curiosity of what might change with the team across town under new ownership. Not saying for better or worse. I just think the intracity dynamics can be interesting.
Of perhaps even more interest to the contingent around these parts, if the Reinsdorf family were to sell the White Sox, might they also consider selling the Chicago Bulls? I suspect many of you would have interest in that topic if it were to start making the rounds.
In either case – the MLB impact or the Chicago Bulls impact – this would bear VERY CLOSE watching if Reinsdorf did decide to start listening on the White Sox.
