WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals principal owner Mark Lerner announced Monday he and his family are no longer pursuing a sale of the franchise, and the team is off the market. The news brings nearly two years of uncertainty for Nats fans wondering about the future of the team.
WUSA9 confirmed the team is no longer for sale through a team spokesperson. Lerner spoke about the decision at the team’s spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“We’ve just decided that it’s not the time or the place for it,” Lerner said. “We’re very happy owning the team and bringing us back a ring one day.”
The news was first reported by the Washington Post. Lerner said the family came to the decision “a while ago.”
The Nationals won the World Series in 2019. But the pandemic hit the following year, robbing the Lerner family of the extra profits and revenue generated by a World Series championship. shortening the 2020 season to 60 games played without fans and limiting fan attendance in 2021.
The Lerner family also reportedly suffered pandemic related financial losses to their commercial real estate empire, putting their ability to spend money on the team’s player payroll in question.
Lerner announced the potential sale of the team in 2022, but his father and family patriarch Ted Lerner died the following year. And talk of the potential sale quieted down as the Nationals front office began a complete rebuild of the franchise.
In January, the Baltimore Orioles were sold by the Angelo's family for $1.725 billion dollars, far less than industry analysts expected the team to bring.
The Lerner family’s asking price the Nationals reportedly topped $2 billion.