Cardinals' Bill DeWitt III: "We don't have any plans to sell the team"

Much to the chagrin of some fans of the St. Louis Cardinals, the DeWitt family has absolutely no intention of selling the team in the near future.

Team President Bill DeWitt III appeared on 101 ESPN to discuss a variety of topics, and he was asked if the family has any intention of selling the team. His response was definitive and clear.

We're committed to the long term. I love St. Louis. It's my home. We raised our family here, and we don't have any plans to sell the team...Unequivically it's not on the market, no.

Bill DeWitt III couldn't be any more clear. Randy Karraker offered up Stan Kroenke or Dave Stewart in "country club rumors" as people who could become owners, but he also shut down those ideas prior to asking the question of DeWitt III.

The DeWitt family has owned the franchise for nearly three decades. Bill DeWitt Jr. purchased the team in 1996 from Anheuser-Busch for $150 million, and he has been the Cardinals' Chairman and CEO since.

Under the ownership of the DeWitt family, the Cardinals have a .541 winning percentage, the fifth-best in baseball. The Cardinals have two World Series championships in that time, four National League pennants (one behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have five), and 13 division titles, by far the most in the National League Central.

The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most recognizable franchises in Major League Baseball, and owning them is a special privilege few can hope to attain. According to Forbes, the Cardinals are the tenth-most valuable franchise in baseball with a valuation of $2.55 billion. Their revenue in 2023 was $372 million, and their operating costs were $57 million.

Calls for the DeWitt family to sell the franchise have increased in both intensity and frequency these past two years due to the underperformance of the team. Additionally, the messy situation surrounding Diamond Sports Group and Bally Sports -- one that has since been resolved -- gave the family a reason to cut spending heading into 2025. These cuts have only furthered the animosity fans have for the DeWitts.

Fans have clamored for a more committed ownership group, especially considering the net worth of Bill DeWitt Jr. sitting at $4 billion, the 7th-highest among his peers.

St. Louis as a city and Missouri as a state have several billionaires who could purchase the team if it were to go on the market, but Bill DeWitt III's comments prove that the family is in it for the long haul.

Get comfortable, Cardinals fans. It does not look like the DeWitt family will be going anywhere anytime soon.