For the second time in a year, an MLB club that had been for sale has been pulled off the market. 

Nationals managing principal owner Mark Lerner and his family are no longer entertaining offers for all or part of the team, according to The Washington Post, ending an exploration of a sale in place since early 2022.

“We’ve just decided that it’s not the time or place for it,” Lerner told the Post. “We’re very happy owning the team and bringing us back a ring one day.”

The Lerner family’s decision follows that of Angels owner Arte Moreno, who early last year said he “just couldn’t go through” with a sale of that franchise. 

The Nationals’ situation, however, arrives with a particular set of circumstances. Billionaire private equity executive David Rubenstein, who was rumored to be interested in buying the Nationals, is instead buying the Orioles. Rubenstein previously sought to partner on the Nationals deal with Washington Wizards, Capitals, and Mystics owner Ted Leonsis, who is now grappling with rising complications with his planned Alexandria, Va., arena and mixed-use development.

The Rubenstein deal in Baltimore, meanwhile, is being seen as a potential catalyst for solving the long-running impasse around the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. The regional sports network is co-owned by the Orioles and Nationals, with the Orioles holding a supermajority share, and a prior dispute over rights fees extended for more than a decade. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently suggested that Rubenstein’s arrival could spark bigger changes to MASN’s structure, saying “change always produces an opportunity.”

The Lerners also own a series of commercial and residential properties near Nationals Park, creating a deeper tie between the club and the family’s long-running real estate business, which like others in that industry was battered during the pandemic. The Nationals have an estimated value of $2 billion.

But the clan additionally faces rising unrest from fans who have seen four straight losing seasons and steadily falling payrolls since the Nationals’ World Series title in 2019, coupled with the departure of stars such as Trea Turner, Juan Soto, and Max Scherzer. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver couldn’t completely hide his frustration with the distinct absence of competitiveness, effort, and defense in this year’s All-Star Game, conducting the trophy presentation with his own lack of enthusiasm.

“To the Eastern Conference All-Stars, you scored the most points. Well … congratulations. Giannis [Antetokounmpo], your team, this trophy is yours,” Silver said. 

Three months ago, Silver was clear about his intent to produce a more competitive All-Star Game, shifting the event back to a conference-based format. What he got instead was a record-setting 397-point game largely devoid of normal basketball energy as players looked to avoid injury, prompting numerous pundits to suggest the game has grown irredeemable and needs to be rebuilt from scratch.

Much like the NFL’s dramatic reshaping of the Pro Bowl to the Pro Bowl Games, the NBA holds a series of sometimes-conflicting objectives for its midseason showcase. The All-Star Game offers an additional platform for corporate sponsors and for league grassroots initiatives while additionally serving as a fertile source of social media content. It also prominently showcases the league’s top talent, which can manifest in other revenue lines, such as merchandise sales and viewership of regular-season and playoff games. 

But as the NBA is already grappling with player load management issues, the All-Stars were clearly disinterested in doing anything that could impact their availability in the second half of the season.

“All these guys here are very valuable to their teams, so it’s some mixed emotions about it,” said Lakers forward Anthony Davis. “You try to go out there and compete a little bit, and not just be a highlight show. But at the same time … God forbid something happens in the All-Star Game when it could have been avoided.”

Despite that sentiment, and the lack of defense on display in Indianapolis, fans did not object. The game drew an average audience of 5.5 million, up 14% from record-low viewership a year ago, with exposure boosted by a Warner Bros. Discovery coverage plan that included alternate broadcasts on TruTV and B/R Sports on Max to supplement core coverage on TBS and TNT.