Washington Nationals Expect Bids for Team by End of Season

Juan Soto has new employers — and by next season, his former teammates may, too.

The Washington Nationals are expecting bids to purchase the team before the end of the regular season on Oct. 5. 

• At least five parties have reviewed the team’s financial reports and met with team personnel, per the Washington Post.
• Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics owner Ted Leonsis, former CEO of three MLB teams Larry Lucchino, Freedom Mortgage CEO Stanley Middleman, and co-founder of private equity firm MBK Partners Michael B. Kim have all shown interest.
• Forbes valued the Nationals at $2 billion in March. The New York Mets were sold for $2.4 billion in November 2020. 

The team owes $200 million to the injured Stephen Strasburg and ace Max Scherzer, now with the Mets. The potential sale was not a factor in the trade of Soto to the San Diego Padres, according to Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo.

O’s Staying in the Family?

Meanwhile, the neighboring Baltimore Orioles have a similarly uncertain ownership future. 

Team chairman and CEO John Angelos reportedly wants his family to retain majority ownership, while his brother Louis Angelos sued John and their mother, Georgia Angelos, in June, alleging that John blocked a plan to sell the team.

Legal filings from Georgia indicated that she had retained Goldman Sachs and Jones Day to provide services connected to the planned sale of the team. Forbes valued the Orioles at $1.4 billion.