![\"Baltimore](\"https:\/\/sportsnaut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/MLB-Baltimore-Orioles-at-Detroit-Tigers-20551507.jpg?w=788&h=444&crop=1\")
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Did the Baltimore Orioles nearly have a different owner?<\/p>\n
Billionaire David Rubenstein bought the Orioles from the Angelos family for an astronomical $1.725 billion in early 2024. The move ended years of angst for Orioles fans who were upset at the Angelos family\u2019s penny-pinching ways.<\/p>\n
The Orioles are a young-and-upcoming team, making the playoffs the last two seasons, including capturing the AL East crown in 2023.<\/p>\n
However, before Rubenstein and his group took over the Orioles, there was another billionaire who had his sights set on the franchise.<\/p>\n
The Washington Post reported that Ted Leonsis, the owner of the NBA\u2019s Washington Wizards and NHL\u2019s Washington Capitals, \u201cexplored buying\u201d the Orioles before they were sold to Rubenstein.<\/p>\n
![\"Dylan](\"https:\/\/sportsnaut.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Dylan-Crews-24360320.jpg?w=768\")
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Despite losing out on the Orioles, Leonsis is still interested in acquiring a baseball team \u2014 the Washington Nationals.<\/p>\n
Leonsis purchased NBC Sports Washington in 2022 and renamed it Monumental Sports Network, and if he was able to acquire the Nationals, he would be able to have year-round baseball programming.<\/p>\n
The Nationals have essentially fallen off a cliff after winning the 2019 World Series. They have lost more than 90 games the last four seasons, including 107 in 2022, when they sent superstar Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline. However, the Nationals have a bright future with top prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews in the fold, and young stars like C.J. Abrams, Keibert Ruiz, and Mackenzie Gore.<\/p>\n
Leonsis told The Washington Post that if he owned the Nationals, the team would be more successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have a really, really successful business \u2014 a billion-dollar business \u2014 you can make the investments, and you choose the priorities,\u201d Leonsis explained to The Washington Post. \u201cMy priority would be, we will never lose a great player for money. We have those resources. Look at who the Nationals have lost, MVP-quality players, in their prime, young. I understand why \u2014 they\u2019re rebuilding the team, and they\u2019ll be really good soon. But that hurts the fans. \u2026 If we owned the Nationals, we would have the resources to not have that happen, if that\u2019s what the GM says.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n But Leonsis might have to wait for his chance. The Lerner family, which owns the Nationals, said early in the year they were no longer looking to sell the team.<\/p>\n According to The Washington Post, Leonsis has indicated to the Lerners that he\u2019s ready, willing, and able.<\/p>\n \u201cI have a lot of respect for that family,\u201d he told the news outlet. \u201cI put myself in their shoes: Do they want to sell? When do they want to sell? How do they want to sell? I can\u2019t make them. So I\u2019m being very respectful to them. That\u2019s the right way to do it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re the most likely buyers. But it might not work.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Did the Baltimore Orioles nearly have a different owner? Billionaire David Rubenstein bought the Orioles from the Angelos family for an astronomical $1.725 billion in early… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1622,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n