Washington Nationals sadly announce death of Ted Lerner, former owner: "The reason baseball came back to DC after 33 years"

Former Washington Nationals owner Ted Lerner passed away today at the age of 97. He was a former real estate developer whose family purchased the team back in 2006. He died from complications from pneumonia at home.

His ownership group purchased the team in 2006 for $450 million. Just before that, the team left Montreal and came to the nation's capital. He remained the managing principal owner until his son took over in 2018.

The team is now worth $2 billion. They won the World Series in 2019 but are currently in the midst of a rebuild.

The team released a statement regarding the passing of their former owner via ESPN:

"It is with great sadness that we we announce the passing of Founding Managing Principal Owner Theodore N. Lerner. The crowning achievement of his family business was bringing baseball back to the city he loved — and with it, bringing a championship home for the first time since 1924. He cherished the franchise and what it brought to his beloved hometown."

The team's social media accounts also sent out an emotional video in which they said:

"Ted Lerner is the reason baseball came back to DC after 33 years. Thank you, Ted. Rest in peace."

The Washington Nationals will likely honor their former owner in 2023 with jersey patches and other items in their home stadium. The Nationals are one of the most likely teams to be sold in the near future as the ownership group has already begun exploring a potential sale.

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Can the Washington Nationals contend in 2023?

The trade of Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres in 2022 should signal exactly what state the Washington Nationals are in right now. They're just three seasons removed from a title, but they're deep into a rebuild.

The Washington Nationals are in the middle of a rebuild

As a result, they're not expected to compete at all. In fact, they very well may be baseball's worst team next season. Their goal right now is to accumulate top prospects and rebuild the franchise, so competing in 2023 is not part of the plan.