MLB Rumors: Ted Leonsis-Led Group 'the Clear Front-Runner' to Buy Nationals

An ownership group led by Ted Leonsis—already the owner of the NBA's Washington Wizards, NHL's Washington Capitals and the WNBA's Washington Mystics—is reportedly the front-runner to buy MLB's Washington Nationals, according to David Aldridge, Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The Lerner family announced earlier this year that they would be putting the Nationals up for sale after 15 years at the helm and one World Series championship.

Per The Athletic's report, "Leonsis' group has been ahead of the others for the last month or so" but "multiple sources, though, said a sale is not imminent."

He reportedly had interest in the past in buying the Baltimore Orioles and has long eyed owning an MLB team.

The report added that an agreement isn't likely before the MLB winter meetings in December, and any sale likely won't be finalized until some point in 2023.

Leonsis' ownership group will also include billionaire David Rubenstein, the co-founder of the Carlisle Group.

Were Leonsis to successfully purchase the Nationals, he would join Stan Kroenke in owning three major United States pro men's sports franchises. The Kroenkes own the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Rams and Denver Nuggets, along with the English Premier League's Arsenal and MLS' Colorado Rapids.

As for the Nationals, the team is in a full rebuild after controversially trading 23-year-old superstar Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres this season following failed contract negotiations. It came a year after the team made another huge splash, trading ace Max Scherzer and superstar shortstop Trea Turner.

And it came just three years after the team won the World Series in 2019. The Nationals have since failed to make the playoffs in each subsequent season, and what once appeared to be a promising core has largely moved on.

It appears that ongoing rebuild will be helmed by a new owner, with the Leonsis-fronted group reportedly the favorites.