Gov. Wes Moore and other state officials expressed anger and disappointment Wednesday that Baltimore Orioles chairman and CEO John Angelos did not inform them of his plans to sell the team – but they also indicated they’re pleased with the outcome of the sale anyway.
News of the sale to billionaire Baltimore native David Rubenstein emerged Tuesday, less than two months after the state and the Orioles reached an agreement to keep the team in downtown Baltimore for at least 15 years. The deal marked the end of a fraught, drawn-out negotiation and came weeks before the team’s lease at the state-owned Oriole Park at Camden Yards was set to expire.
While Rubenstein was first linked to the Orioles in December, he was not involved in negotiating the lease, state officials told reporters on Wednesday. It was unclear if Rubenstein had been consulted by Angelos during the talks.
State officials also said they were unaware during the lease negotiations that a sale to Rubenstein was pending.
