The Nats are...For Sale?!?

[PowerBoater69]

Maybe a good connection to Korean talent as well.

I've seen on Twitter and Reddit people saying that he'll sign Ohtani, maybe he can get the giant pandas on loan too.

[Natsinpwc]

I've seen on Twitter and Reddit people saying that he'll sign Ohtani, maybe he can get the giant pandas on loan too.

Japanese and Koreans generally despise each other. People are so dumb.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I've seen on Twitter and Reddit people saying that he'll sign Ohtani, maybe he can get the giant pandas on loan too.

with Wang as the pitching coach.

[PowerBoater69]

with Wang as the pitching coach.

Rebuild the Nats Pack with recruits from Bangkok.

[Natsinpwc]

Rebuild the Nats Pack with recruits from Bangkok.

Now that might draw some fans.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Imagine the t-shirt launches

[PowerBoater69]

Imagine the t-shirt launches

[DPMOmaha]

So, if this guy is leaked, are we presuming this is the front runner to land the sale?

[Natsinpwc]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Kim_(businessman)

South Korea does not allow dual citizenship. Not clear if he is a USA or South Korea citizen. The wiki page says he lives in Seoul.

https://www.dualcitizenshipreport.org/dual-citizenship/south-korea/

[Natsinpwc]

Based on this he seems to be a US citizen.

https://www.forbes.com/profile/michael-kim/?sh=7909f42d764e

[Smithian]

The Post says that some private equity fund billionaire from Korea is bidding on the Nats, Michael Kim. Duel US citizen, Harvard MBA. Worked for the Carlyle Group for ten years so he'll have connections to Glenn Youngkin and other locals to form an ownership group.

Sign me up for some group that vastly overspend in the short term. Early 2020’s Smithian will enjoy it. It’s late 2020’s-early 2030’s Smithian’s problem to deal with when they become absentee after losing a ton of cash.

[hotshot]

Japanese and Koreans generally despise each other. People are so dumb.

Yep. Japanese society considered Koreans to be a lesser people.That was certainly the case up through WW2. Suspect they are kinder today in their assessment.

[Dave in Fairfax]

Notwithstanding whatever societal prejudices there may be, and we should be careful about cultural over-generalizations, there have been a number of Korean players in the NPB and Japanese players in the KBO. As is the case with Western Hemisphere players in both leagues, Japanese and Korean baseball executives are more than willing to look for talent where they can find it, though there is a bias toward their own nationals.

[nats4ever]

Weren't the mariners owned by a Japanese owner? Rather have someone who actually likes baseball, and is from here.

[Natsinpwc]

Weren't the mariners owned by a Japanese owner? Rather have someone who actually likes baseball, and is from here.

Japanese don’t like baseball?

[Natsinpwc]

Some of the comments here are kind of funny. They are basically like saying we might have a new owner from Germany so we should be getting more Italian Food, cheese from France and blond babes from Sweden. Believe it or not there are actually different countries in Asia.

I guess the bottom line for me is I don’t care if the primary owner is from another location in the USA or even overseas. Just that they will spend money and hire a good management team. And then be hands off until something is not working.

Seems to be a positive sign that there are a few groups interested.

[Dave in Fairfax]

Weren't the mariners owned by a Japanese owner? Rather have someone who actually likes baseball, and is from here.

Nintendo owned the team until 2016, and still has a 10% stake as part of the current ownership.

As I recall, there were people who thought this would give Seattle an advantage in the Ohtani sweepstakes, which did not pan out.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I think the Mariners historically had some success in signings from npb. Not just Ichiro, but also Sasaki and a few other pitchers. I may be wrong, but iirc yuni Betancourt played in japan between cuba and mlb

[Dave in Fairfax]

Have the Nats ever signed a player from the NPB, CPBL or KBO, not counting Eric Thames since he played for another MLB club between Korea and DC?

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Ohka and Kim both got drafted by the Red Sox before ending up with the Expos/Nats...so none that I can think of.  We sent plenty to Asia though.

[Elvir Ovcina]

Ohka and Kim both got drafted by the Red Sox before ending up with the Expos/Nats...so none that I can think of.  We sent plenty to Asia though.

*Signed.  That was the great Red Sox racket of the early 2000s, acquiring masses of prospects for next to nothing and then trading them to stupid teams for actual value.

[imref]

Five buyers have toured the stadium. Bids expected soon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/12/washington-nationals-sale-stanley-middleman/

They also note that the Soto trade was purely a Lerner decision.

[Natsinpwc]

Five buyers have toured the stadium. Bids expected soon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/12/washington-nationals-sale-stanley-middleman/

They also note that the Soto trade was purely a Lerner decision.

It's just like closing Cinnabon before you sell the mall.  No biggie.

[Five Banners]

Five buyers have toured the stadium. Bids expected soon: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/08/12/washington-nationals-sale-stanley-middleman/

They also note that the Soto trade was purely a Lerner decision.

Well that settles it, all these owners are off the hook. How nice and cut and dried and believable.

[imref]

Well that settles it, all these owners are off the hook. How nice and cut and dried and believable.

Janes makes the argument that the trade of Soto makes it easier for the Lerners to sell the team because they don't have a $500 million or so contract obligation on the books, so that makes sense. She also pretty much says what Rizzo and others have been saying - the team wasn't going to be competitive with Soto given the farm system, that trading Soto potentially speeds up the rebuild, and that Rizzo wasn't forced to trade him but would if he got what Rizzo considered to be a fair offer.