Longtime majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling the Chicago White Sox, according to sources briefed on the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly The athlete. Reinsdorf, 88, is in active discussions with a group led by former big leaguer Dave Stewart.

Reinsdorf led a group that bought the White Sox in 1981 for about $20 million and is the second-longest active owner in the MLB, behind only the Steinbrenner family, which bought the Yankees in 1973. According to Forbes, Reinsdorf owns an estimated 19 percent of the White Sox, the entirety of which is believed to be part of potential sales talks. Reinsdorf is the second owner in a week to publicly explore a path to sale. The Pohlad family, which has owned the Minnesota Twins since 1984, announced plans Thursday to explore selling the team.

Accessible separately through The athleteBoth Reinsdorf and Stewart declined to comment.

For Reinsdorf, the news represents a significant change in attitude. Reinsdorf, baseball's oldest majority owner, has not shown any public interest in selling the team – at least not while he was majority owner. Reinsdorf has said several times that after his death he advised his heirs to sell the White Sox and keep the Chicago Bulls, where his son Michael is COO and team president.

It's unclear what, if anything, has changed, although Reinsdorf has been vocal about making significant organizational and operational changes in a season in which the team suffered a record 121-game losing streak.

A former player, coach, agent and manager, Stewart has an impressive resume in football, including World Series titles with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays. He had a dominant streak with Oakland, posting four consecutive 20-win seasons, which earned him acceptance into the prestigious Black Aces club.

Stewart, pictured at a Baseball Hall of Fame event at the 2023 MLB Winter Meetings in Nashville, was a player, coach, agent and executive during his baseball career. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Stewart's group Smoke34 had previously attempted to purchase Oakland's shares in the Oakland Coliseum. He was actively involved in trying to bring an expansion baseball team to Nashville. Stewart and partner Lonnie Murray lead a group pushing for an NWSL team in Nashville. The city is one of the league's finalists, with a decision expected to be announced next month.

It is unknown what Stewart's potential commitment would mean for the White Sox's long-term stay in Chicago.

The news comes as the White Sox are pushing for a new stadium in the next four years, releasing renderings for a possible site in the South Loop in February. Last month, the team set up a pop-up at the proposed location asking for funding. It's an undeveloped 62-acre property in the South Loop called “The 78,” named for its potential to become Chicago's 78th neighborhood. The land is south of downtown Chicago and would reportedly require a mix of private and public funding, with the latter facing opposition.

The White Sox's current lease at Guaranteed Rate Field, which opened in 1991, runs through 2029, although Reinsdorf has said in previous reports that he would like to live elsewhere before it expires.

Under Reinsdorf's ownership, the White Sox won the World Series in 2005. Since then, they have reached the playoffs three times but have failed to win a postseason series, prompting Reinsdorf to fire both team president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn last year.

The team under new GM Chris Getz also fired manager Pedro Grifol during the season. The changes and his team's performances have led Reinsdorf to make several public comments, including: The athlete last month.

“This year has been extremely painful for everyone, especially our fans,” Reinsdorf said through a team spokesman in September. “We didn’t get here overnight, and solutions won’t emerge overnight. Over the last year we have made difficult decisions and changes. These changes have continued this summer and we look forward to appointing a new, energized manager in the autumn.”

Perhaps more changes are coming.

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(Top photo of Jerry Reinsdorf in 2023: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)