Stunning news of a potential sale of the Orioles has seemingly come out of nowhere

Bloomberg reporter Gillian Tan has reported that billionaire David Rubenstein is in talks to acquire the Baltimore Orioles. Rubenstein, a lawyer who opened his own investment firm has begun the process to become the next owner of the Orioles. It is important to note that this is early in the process and there are no guarantees of any purchase going through. Nevertheless, many Orioles fans are hoping to move on from the Angelos family regime.

For the last three decades, the Baltimore Orioles have been owned by Peter Angelos. Angelos is now 94 years old and in declining health so his son, John Angelos, took over the franchise after a legal battle with his brother Louis Angelos. John officially took control of the team following the 2022 season and has been a magnet for negative attention ever since.

First, he was rumored to want to move the franchise to Tennessee. Then, he commented that he believed the Orioles simply over performed in 2022 and were not ready to compete. While the Orioles were proving him wrong in 2023, John commented that he would need to drastically increase ticket prices if Orioles fans wanted to be able to resign star players.

Finally, there's a big controversy with the Camden Yards lease. After it was reported that an agreement had been reached, we are just a few weeks away from the current lease ending and the new lease has yet to be signed.

From the ashes of the public relations fire that John has set, a potential hero has arisen. But who is David Rubenstein?

Who is David Rubenstein, and could he actually purchase the Orioles?

Rubenstein is a local boy who was born and raised in Baltimore Maryland. He became a successful lawyer and even served as a policy advisor to President Jimmy Carter. In 1987 Rubenstein co-founded The Carlyle Group, an international national investment company that has grown to an estimated worth in the hundreds of billions.

Rubenstein, who is estimated to have a net worth north of 4 billion dollars, has spent tens of millions of dollars purchasing historical documents which he has lent out to museums so others can appreciate the items. He has donated hundreds of millions to schools and universities, and to help build or restore libraries, performing arts theaters and historical sites.

Forbes lists the O's as the 18th most valuable MLB franchise at $1.713 billion. Most purchases of professional franchises are made by groups of people with one person taking the lead. However, Rubenstein has the means to be the sole purchaser if he chooses. His potential purchase of the Orioles would indicate them staying in Baltimore, and I wish him the best of luck.