Longtime majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling the Chicago White Sox, sources briefed on the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Athletic. The 88-year-old Reinsdorf is in active discussions with a group led by former big leaguer Dave Stewart.
Reinsdorf led a group that bought the White Sox for roughly $20 million in 1981 and is the second-longest active owner in MLB, trailing only the Steinbrenner family, who bought the Yankees in 1973. According to Forbes, Reinsdorf owns an estimated 19 percent of the White Sox, all of which are believed to be part of potential sale discussions. Reinsdorf is the second owner in a week to publicly explore a path to selling. The Pohlad family, who has owned the Minnesota Twins since 1984, announced on Thursday plans to explore selling the team.
Reached separately by The Athletic, Reinsdorf and Stewart both declined to comment.
The news represents a significant change of stance for Reinsdorf. The oldest majority owner in baseball, Reinsdorf has shown no previous public interest in selling the team — at least, not as long as he was around as majority owner. Reinsdorf has said several times that he has advised his heirs upon his death to sell the White Sox and keep the Chicago Bulls, where his son, Michael, is COO and team president.
It’s unclear what, if anything, changed, though Reinsdorf has been vocal about making significant organizational operational changes amid a season in which the team lost a record 121 games.
Stewart, a former player, coach, agent and executive, has an impressive resume in the game, including World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays. He had a dominant stretch with Oakland in which he had four consecutive 20-win seasons, granting him admission to the prestigious “Black Aces” club.
Stewart’s group, Smoke34, previously tried to purchase Oakland’s stake in the Oakland Coliseum. He has been actively involved in trying to get an expansion baseball team to Nashville. Stewart and partner Lonnie Murray are leading a group pushing for an NWSL team in Nashville. The city is one of the league’s finalists, with a decision expected to be announced next month.
It’s unknown what Stewart’s potential involvement would mean for the White Sox staying in Chicago long-term.
The news comes as the White Sox push for a new stadium in the next four years, releasing renderings for one potential spot in the South Loop in February. Last month, the team constructed a pop-up field at the proposed site where they’re seeking funding. It is an undeveloped, 62-acre South Loop parcel of land called “The 78,” named for its potential in becoming Chicago’s 78th neighborhood. The land is just south of downtown Chicago and would reportedly require a mix of private and public funds, the latter of which has been met with resistance.
The White Sox’ current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field, which opened in 1991, runs through 2029, though Reinsdorf has said in previous reports he would like to be somewhere else before it expires.
Under Reinsdorf’s ownership, the White Sox won the World Series in 2005. They have made the playoffs three times since, but have failed to win a postseason series, prompting Reinsdorf to dismiss both team president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn last year.
The team, under new GM Chris Getz, also dismissed manager Pedro Grifol in-season. The changes and his team’s performances has prompted Reinsdorf to make several public comments, including to The Athletic last month.
“This year has been extremely painful for all, especially our fans,” Reinsdorf said through a team spokesperson in September. “We did not arrive here overnight, and solutions won’t happen overnight either. Going back to last year, we have made difficult decisions and changes. Those changes have continued this summer, and we look forward to naming a new manager with new energy this fall.”
Perhaps even more changes are coming.
(Top photo of Jerry Reinsdorf in 2023: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
