4 years ago
9 News has learned Major League Baseball will announce the new owners of the Washington Nationals as early as Friday. Sources tell 9 Sports Director Brett Haber that the Group led by Washington real estate magnate Theodore Lerner will win the bidding war and take over control of the team next month.
Two sources close to the decision making process tell 9 News that the Lerner Group will edge out the groups led by Washington businessmen Fred Malek and Jeffrey Zients and Indianapolis radio tycoon Jeff Smulyan. Haber spoke with Smulyan this morning who confirmed that he too has heard the news of the Lerner victory, though not from Major League Baseball directly.
9 News spoke with Nationals team President Tony Tavares before this afternoon's game at RFK stadium. Tavares said that he spoke with MLB commissioner Bud Selig this morning and that Selig denies a decision has been made.
The Lerner Group was one of eight ownership groups originally under consideration by Major League Baseball. A spokesman for the Lerner Group said today, they will have no comment until MLB makes a formal announcement.
The Lerners own a major development company, Lerner Enterprises in Bethesda. They developed prominent sites like Tysons Corner in Virginia and White Flint Mall in Maryland, and DC?s Washington Square. They also preside over 20 million square feet of office, retail and commercial property in the Washington region.
We?ll have complete team coverage on 9 News at 5, 6 and 7 o?clock.
Written by 9 News
