Major League Baseball

White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf reportedly 'open to selling' team

Updated Oct. 17, 2024 12:40 p.m. ET

Chicago White Sox majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf is "open to selling" his stake in the franchise, according to a Wednesday report from The Athletic. The report also noted that Reinsdorf is in "active discussions" about a sale with a buying group led by former MLB pitcher Dave Stewart.

The White Sox are coming off one of the worst seasons in MLB history, as they lost a modern-day record 121 games, posting a 25.3% winning percentage. They also had 21-, 14- and 12-game losing streaks at varying points of the season.

Chicago has lost 100-plus games in each of the past two seasons and hasn't reached the playoffs since 2021, which is the last time it posted a winning record. To boot, the White Sox have finished with a winning record just twice in the last 12 seasons (2021 and 2022).

Chicago fired manager Pedro Grifol in August with the team 28-89 and a combined 89-190 under him since 2023. It hired former MLB outfielder Grady Sizemore as interim manager.

On the last day of the regular season (Sept. 29), Reinsdorf penned a letter to the team's fan base in the wake of the catastrophic 2024 season.

Reinsdorf, 88, bought the White Sox in 1981 for roughly $20 million. Under his reign, the White Sox have made the playoffs just seven times, highlighted by winning the 2005 World Series. Forbes lists Reinsdorf's net worth at $2.1 billion.

Reinsdorf also owns the NBA's Chicago Bulls, which he bought in 1985. Furthermore, Reinsdorf was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, buoyed by the Michael Jordan-led Bulls three-peating twice in the 1990s.

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