David Rubenstein-led ownership's $1.725 billion Orioles takeover likely to be announced officially after 2024 Opening Day
Not long ago, Baltimore Orioles ownership exchanged hands, as an investment group led by David Rubenstein purchased the stake from the Angelos family, including their stake in sports network MASN, for $1.725 billion.
According to Evan Drellich of The Athletic, the sales process will likely be finalized by April, which means the change in ownership will happen just after the Opening Day game against the Los Angeles Angels. Drellich also mentioned that "only procedural hurdles remain, rather than substantive issues."
The sale, which was first reported in January, came as a surprise given that the Angelos family has been with the club since 1993. While they may have finally won the AL East division in 2023, the ownership hasn't seen much success while at the helm.
The Orioles have only gone to the playoffs six times in the last 31 years and haven't made the World Series in that span. One of the major reasons was the lack of spending from the owners, which resulted in the team struggling to field a competitive roster.
They were 29th out of 30 teams on the payroll in 2023, and are 23rd for the upcoming season. It remains to be seen if they can swing their way onto the top after new owners officially kick in.
Orioles come out top in a Training game against Braves
On Monday, the Atlanta Braves faced the Orioles in a spring training game at CoolToday Park. Max Freid started for the Braves, while Seth Johnson opened for the Orioles. It was a low-run affair, as only three runs were scored in the entire game.
For the Braves, center fielder Forrest Wall blasted a home run, adding the first and only run to the team's run total.
For the Orioles, third baseman Jordan Westburg scored a run off his home run. The other run was scored by Kyle Stowers, who had a home-run swing to seal the deal for the Orioles.
The AL East team won the game 2-1. They will next face the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday at Ed Smith Stadium.