Reports: White Sox Owner ‘Open’ to Franchise Sale – Field Level Media – Professional Sports Content Solutions

According to multiple reports, the Chicago White Sox are exploring options for a possible sale of the franchise after just completing a 121-loss season that was the worst in modern times.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, CEO Jerry Reinsdorf is “open” to finding a buyer for the club, and one group showing significant interest is led by former major league pitcher Dave Stewart.

A club spokesman declined to comment on a possible sale.

Reinsdorf, who reportedly owns a 19 percent stake in the White Sox, has been the club’s primary owner since 1981, when the franchise was purchased for $20 million. Earlier this year, Forbes valued the White Sox at $2.05 billion.

Reinsdorf, 88, also owns the NBA’s Chicago Bulls but reportedly has no intention of selling that franchise.

White Sox officials have expressed interest in replacing their current stadium on Chicago’s South Side with a modern venue closer to downtown on the edge of the Chicago River. As Forbes reported in March, the franchise requires $1 billion in public financing.

The team’s lease at Guaranteed Rate Field expires after the 2029 season.

A possible sale to a Stewart-led group comes with the prospect that the franchise could leave Chicago entirely. Stewart is leading a group trying to start an expansion company in Nashville, Tennessee.

Stewart has ties to Reinsdorf’s close friend Tony La Russa, who was manager of the White Sox when Reinsdorf became owner in 1981 and who was signed to return for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. La Russa has remained on board as a club advisor.

While the White Sox were undergoing a roster rebuild, they were 41-121 last season, following a 61-101 record in 2023. Since winning the World Series in 2005, the club has gone under a dozen times in 19 seasons. Finished .500 and only made three playoff appearances while going 3-8 in those postseason games.

–Field level media