Could the Lerner family sell the Washington Nationals? It’s a possibility. According to the Washington Post, the Learners are exploring possible changes in the ownership structure of the MLB club, including selling the team.
“This is an exploratory process, so there is no set timetable or expectation of a specific outcome,” Nats principal owner Mark Lerner said in a statement to the Post. “The organization is as committed as ever to their employees, players, fans, sponsors and partners and to putting a competitive product on the field.”
Ted Lerner bought the Nationals for $450 million in 2006 after the team relocated from Montreal. Ted Lerner, 96, transferred day-to-day operations to his son Mark. The ownership of the Nationals is broken down throughout the family.
The family hired New York investment bank Allen & Company to research potential investors, and possibly buyers. The same firm that helped facilitate the sale of the New York Mets in 2020 to hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen for $2.4 billion.
Under the Lerners, the Nationals have become one of the more marketable teams in MLB. The club leaned on the blueprint of success from former exec Stan Kasten and current GM Mike Rizzo to rebuild the organization.
The rebuild matured from 2012-2019, culminating with a World Series championship in 2019.
Mark Lerner was on record saying “We will never sell the Nationals.”
It was always assumed the younger generation of the Lerners would eventually takeover.
However, the team’s spokeswoman Jennifer Giglio said the next generation “are enthusiastic supporters of the Nationals and are ready, willing and able to lead. But they also support this process of assessing options.”
The Nationals are currently valued at $2 billion, according to Forbes, which ranks 12th among the 30 MLB clubs.
