Franchise Sale Prices: Baseball (2024)

The following are sale prices of minor league baseball teams, either published in the media or provided by sources with direct knowledge of the transactions. If you would like to know our source for a particular transaction, contact us and we’ll be happy to share, unless the information was provided on background by an industry source.

As with all business numbers in sports, understand that these figures areoccasionally misrepresented by ownersorobscured byfaulty memories. Prices may represent the price of a controlling interest in a team, but not 100% of the shares. In a few cases, we have used the less than (<), greater than (>) and estimated (~)symbols to indicate partial information gleaned about a sale.

Triple-A Baseball

Expansion fees:

• 1991 – Ottawa Lynx – $5.0 million (Howard Darwin)

Sales of existing franchises:

• 1955 – Ottawa Athletics – $50,000 (Kansas City Athletics to Fred Jones et al.)
• 1978 – Spokane Indians – $180,000 (Bill Cutler to Larry Koentopp et al.)
• 1982 – Iowa Oaks – ~ $600,000 (Ray Johnston to Ken Grandquist et al.)
• 1982 – Salt Lake Gulls – $450,000 (Joe Gagliardi to Larry Schmittou et al.)
• 1983 – Salt Lake Gulls – $750,000 (Larry Schmittou et al. to Roger Russell)
• 1984 – Evansville Triplets – $780,000 (?? to Larry Schmittou)
• 1984 – Wichita Aeros – $1.0 million (Milton Glickman to Bob Rich, Jr.)
• 1986 – Louisville Redbirds – $4.5 million (A. Ray Smith to Dan Ulmer, Jack Hillerich & Gene Gardiner et al.)
• 1987 – Maine Guides – $2.5 million (Jordan Kobritz to John McGee et al.)
• 1989 – Oklahoma City 89ers – $4.6 million (Bing Hampton & Patty Cox Hampton to Jeffrey Loria & Marv Goldklang, et al.)
• 1991 – Tacoma Tigers – $5.5 million (? to George Foster)
• 1992 – Las Vegas Stars – $7.0 million (Larry Koentopp to Hank & Ken Stickney)
• 1992 – Tidewater Tides ~ $7.0 million (New York Mets to Ken Young et al.)
• 1993 – Oklahoma City 89ers – $8.0 million (Jeffrey Loria to Ed Gaylord, et al.)
• 1999 – Tucson Sidewinders – $8.0 million (Martin Stone to Jay Zucker)
• 2000 – Albuquerque Dukes – $11.5 million (Bob & Joan Lozinak to Portland Family Entertainment)
• 2007 – Tucson Sidewinders – $15.0 million (Jay Zucker to Jerry Katzoff, Stuart Katzoff & Herb Simon)

Double-A Baseball

Expansion fees:

• 1992 – Portland Sea Dogs – $3.5 million (Daniel Burke)

Sales of existing franchises:

• 1969 – Pittsfield (MA) Senators– $1,000 (Joe Buzas or Eastern League?to Pat McKernan)
• 1977 – Reading (PA) Phillies – $1.00 (? to Joe Buzas)
• 1977 – West Haven (CT) Yankees – $32,500 (? to Lloyd Kern & Robert Zeig)
• 1981 – Holyoke (MA) Millers– $85,000 (? to Jerry Mileur et al.)
• 1981 – Lynn (MA) Sailors – < $100,000 (Lloyd Kern & Robert Zeig to Mike Agganis)
• 1982 – West Haven (CT) A’s – $100,000 (David Goldstein to Ben Bernard)
• 1985 – Waterbury (CT) Angels – $350,000 (Anthony DiVito & Family to John McGee, et al.)
• 1986 – Reading (PA) Phillies – $1.0 million (Joe Buzas to Craig Stein)
• 1987– Chattanooga (TN) Lookouts – $1.1 million (? to Rick Holtzman)
• 1987 – Midland (TX) Angels – $1.0 million (? to Rick Holtzman)
• 1988 – Memphis Chicks – $1.8 million (Avron Fogelman to Craig Stein & Steven Resnick)
• 1989 – Memphis Chicks – $3.2 million (Craig Stein & Steven Resnick to Mike Nicklous & Richard Addeo)
• 1990 – Birmingham Barons – $3.6 million (Art Clarkson to Suntory International)
• 1994 – Harrisburg (PA) Senators – $4.1 million (Jerry Mileur & Scott Carter to Steven Resnick et al.)
• 1995 – Chattanooga (TN) Lookouts – $3.75 million (Rick Holtzman to Frank & Daniel Burke & Charlie Eshbach)
• 1995 – Harrisburg (PA) Senators – $6.7 million (Steven Resnick et al. to City of Harrisburg)
• 1998 – New Britain (CT) Rock Cats – $7.5 million (Joe Buzas to Coleman Levy & Bill Dowling, et al.)
• 2002 – West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx – $7.0 million (David Hersh to Bob Lozinak)
• 2002 – Altoona (PA) Curve – $12.0 million (Bob Lozinak & Tate DeWeese to Chuck Greenberg)
• 2003 – New Haven (CT) Ravens – $8.5 million (Edward Massey to Drew Weber)
• 2004 – El Paso Diablos – $9.8 million (Brett Sports & Entertainment to the St. Louis Cardinals)
• 2005 – Norwich (CT) Navigators – ~ $9.0 million (Hank Smith & Barry Gordon to Lou DiBella)
• 2007 – Harrisburg (PA) Senators – $13.25 million (City of Harrisburg to Michael Reinsdorf et al.)

Single-A Baseball

Expansion fees:

• 1979 – Durham (NC) Bulls – $2,417 (Miles Wolff)
• 1986 – Daytona Beach Admirals – $150,000 (Blake Cullen, Jerry Vale & Elaine Rosenthal)

Sales of existing franchises:

• 1968 – Oneonta (NY) Yankees – $7,500 (Joe Buzas to Oneonta Athletic Corporation)
• 1981 – Central Oregon Phillies – $63,000 (Gene Davis to Jack Cain)
• 1983 – Peoria (IL) Suns – $115,000 (? to Pete Vonachen)
• 1984 – Utica (NY) Blue Sox – $70,000 (Roger Kahn et al.to Greg Larson & Bob Fowler et al.)
• 1985 – Peninsula (VA) Pilots – $160,000 (Joe Buzas to Gil Granger)
• 1985 – Spokane (WA)Indians – $137,000 (Jack Donovanto Bobby Brett et al.)
• 1986 – Florence (SC) Blue Jays – $200,000 (? to Winston Blenckstone)
• 1986 – Salinas (CA) Spurs – $200,000 (? to Jay Goldinger)
• 1987 – Charleston (SC) Rainbows – $600,000 (Ernest & Ray Passailaigue to Larry & Stuart Revo et al.)
• 1987 – Daytona Beach Admirals – ~$200,000 (Blake Cullen et al. to New York Mets)
• 1988 – Gastonia (NC) Rangers – ~$500,000 (Jack Farnsworth to George Shinn)
• 1988 – Peninsula (VA) Pilots – $600,000 (Gil Granger to Jay Acton & Eric Margenau)
• 1989 – Charleston (SC) Rainbows – $800,000 (Larry & Stuart Revo to Marv Goldklang)
• 1990 – Augusta (GA) Pirates – $1.4 million (Len Monheimer & Bill Heaton to Bill Scripps)
• 1990 – Durham (NC) Bulls – $4.0 million (Miles Wolff to Jim Goodmon)
• 1990 – Stockton (CA) Ports – $1.0 million (? to Richard Phelps and Walt & Debbie Winkelman)
• 1991 – Palm Springs (CA) Angels – $1.0 million (? to Ken Stickney)
• 1992 – Peninsula (VA) Pilots – $1.6 million (Jay Acton & Eric Margenau to Frank Boulton &Bud Harrelson)
• 1998 – Stockton (CA) Ports – $1.75 million (Richard Phelps to Kevin O’Malley & Tom Seidler)
• 2002 – Utica (NY) Blue Sox – $3.0 million (Bob Fowler to Ripken Baseball)
• 2005 – Asheville (NC) Tourists – $6.5 million (Woody Kern to Palace Sports & Entertainment)
• 2010 – Hagerstown (MD) Suns – $6.7 million (Mandalay Sports Entertainment to Bruce Quinn & Tony Dahbura)

Independent Baseball

Original franchise fees:

• 1995 – Long Beach Barracuda – $50,000 (Christopher Gibbs)

Sales of existing franchises:

• 2002 – Adirondack (NY)Lumberjacks – $575,000 (Charles Jaceyto Charles “Chip” Hutchins)
• 2003 – Cook County (IL) Cheetahs – $700,000 (David Arch to Patrick O’Malley et al.)
• 2011 – Grand Prairie (TX) AirHogs – $1.5 million (Roger Christoph et al. to Gary Elliston & Scott Berry)

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