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The news comes after nearly two years of uncertainty for Washington’s MLB franchise, which won the World Series in 2019 but has been mired in a painful rebuild in the years since. In April 2022, Lerner announced that his family would consider selling the team, saying it was an “exploratory process, so there is no set timeline or expectation of a specific outcome.”
“Nothing has really changed,” Lerner said Monday. “We have simply decided that this is not the time or place for it. “We are very happy to own the team and bring back a ring one day.”
Mike Rizzo, the team’s general manager, declined to comment, deferring to Lerner’s statement.
It’s worth noting that a season ago, John Angelos, at the time the Baltimore Orioles’ “control person,” a term MLB uses for each team’s leading decision-maker, said he didn’t plan to sell the franchise. But last month, the Angelos family reached a deal that would cede control of the Orioles to a group led by David Rubenstein, a founder of the private equity firm Carlyle Group. But for now, Lerner has made his family’s intentions clear.
On Monday, the Nationals hosted a barbecue for fans to meet players and coaches at the team’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach. Lerner attended with his wife, Judy, as well as other members of the ownership group.
Some fans at the event were hopeful that the Lerners’ decision would lead to spending on the major league roster in the future. Others were more skeptical.
“I hope now we can come up with some money for quality players,” said Phil Goldman, 71, who has had a season ticket plan since 2005. “I don’t know if it will be this year. But this is good. I enjoy having the Lerners as owners. I thought they did a good job.”
Do you think they will invest effectively in the team?
“Before a decision was made, I didn’t really expect them to do it,” he said. “Now yes”.
Not all fans were so optimistic.
“I think they probably need to make some changes,” said Tom Carlon, 41. “I’m not sure they know what direction this team wants to go; if they want to spend or develop their young people. It’s somewhere in between. “I know they have received a lot of criticism before.”
The Nationals have endured four consecutive losing seasons since their 2019 World Series title. In 2021, Washington began drastically reshaping its team, trading ace Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The following season, the Nationals sent superstar Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres.
In return, Washington has received a wave of young talent, which is in various stages of development throughout the organization. Catcher Keibert Ruiz and starter Josiah Gray, a star last season, arrived as part of the deal with the Dodgers for Turner and Scherzer. Left-hander MacKenzie Gore and shortstop CJ Abrams were part of the Soto trade. Washington’s farm system is now led by Dylan Crews, the second overall pick in last year’s draft, and James Wood, a 6-foot-6 outfielder.
Lerner’s comments were brief Monday and some questions remain. Among the most important: how much the family will financially commit to the team, now that it is no longer exploring a sale.
In 2006, the Lerner family paid $450 million to buy the club from Major League Baseball, which had moved it from Montreal to Washington in 2005. Mark’s father, real estate magnate Ted Lerner, transferred day-to-day control of the team to his son in 2018.
Spencer Nusbaum in West Palm Beach contributed to this report, which has been updated.