Justin Ishbia might provide the Chicago White Sox their ticket to becoming the big market team they’ve aspired to be but have never become.
According to Ishbia, the founding partner of Shore Capital Partners, a Chicago private equity firm, offered to buy Sox limited partner shares for $1.8 billion.
Initially interested in becoming the owner of the Minnesota Twins with his brother Mat, Ishbia’s recent pursuit to increase his stake in the Sox organization indicates that the Sox could be getting a new owner.
With experience in sports ownership as a co-majority owner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury with Mat, Ishbia knows what makes a team successful.
His approval of the blockbuster Suns-Nets trade that brought Kevin Durant to Phoenix is proof that Ishbia knows that selling tickets is necessary to build a reputable franchise. He also isn’t afraid to spend money, a major concern for several MLB franchises including the Sox. Ishbia strikes the balance between a capital-flushed businessman and a savvy sports investor.
Sox fans have dreamt of the day that Reinsdorf relinquished control, but change won’t happen immediately.
Although Reinsdorf expressed willingness to sell the team in October, Ishbia likely won’t hold the reins if his purchase is approved.
Sox vice president of communications Scott Reifert reported to The Athletic, “[Ishbia’s] offer to limited partners has no impact on the leadership or operations of the Chicago White Sox and does not provide a path to control.”
Reifert’s comments indicate that should Ishbia increase his stake in the Sox, Reinsdorf will still run the show until further notice.
As frustrating as it might be to watch Reinsdorf’s incompetency, Sox fans must be patient.
It will take years for the Sox to build a player development system and clubhouse that operates like a well-oiled machine.
And while Ishbia would probably financially back contract extensions and free agent signings for the right players, now isn’t the time to suddenly start spending.
Injecting millions of dollars into the Sox roster as it enters its rebuild period would be misusing money. Even moving to a new ballpark at the end of Rate Field’s lease in 2029 is putting the cart before the horse.
The Sox need to focus on the mechanics and fundamentals of baseball before they can envision all the bells and whistles.
While Ishbia seems like the perfect fit for the Sox, Chicago can’t get ahead of themselves. Ishbia has the tools needed to get the Sox in the limelight in a positive way, but the Sox need to work on themselves first.
If the Sox play their cards right, they’ll get Ishbia, a competent owner who acts like he wants to win, and maybe even a ballpark with a better skyline, by the end of their rebuild. Good things come to those who wait, so it’s time to wait for things to unfold.