Washington Nationals: Nats Park and Bryce Harper could be connected

The Washington Nationals are reportedly interested in selling the naming rights to Nationals Park. What could that mean for the team and its biggest star?

It may not seem like it on the surface, but the Washington Nationals‘ ballpark, Nationals Park, has something in common with Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, and Dodger Stadium. While Nationals Park does not have the prestige of the others, none of them are corporate named.

However, that could soon change as the Lerner family started the process last season to seek buyers for the naming rights of Nationals Park.

What does this have to do with Bryce Harper? Well, with 2018 being Harper’s walk year, having a corporate name on Nationals Park could bring in the required revenue to guarantee Harper continues his career as a National.

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But who would be interested in buying the naming rights? One company that has been mentioned is Under Armour.

The Baltimore-based company has been linked to being interested in purchasing the naming rights to Nationals Park since the Lerner family began exploring the option. Under Armour offers a name known world-wide and could easily match the sponsorship deal SunTrust Bank agreed to when they bought the name of the new Atlanta Braves stadium at $250 million over 25 years.

Imagine Under Armour Field. And with Under Armour already taking over as MLB’s official jersey and apparel supplier, what better way to entrench yourself than to put the company name on a ballpark?

Another company that could benefit from putting their name on Nationals Park is already entrenched in DC sports.

Leidos, the Virginia-based national defense contractor already has the official sponsorship of DC United and is also a sponsor of Capital One Arena. Last year, Leidos reported over $2.5 billion in revenue in the first quarter. The defense contractor could solidify their foothold in DC especially, owning the stadium right next to the Navy Yard.

Exelon, the Chicago-based energy company has also been discussed as a potential buyer. They even sponsored the late-night Metro during the 2017 NLDS. Exelon had a revenue of over $31 billion in 2016, and owns companies in the area such as BG&E, Delmarva Power, and Potomac Electric.

Having their name on the stadium would surely go a long way in providing the Nationals the extra revenue to back what is presumably going to be the largest contract in Major League history.

While Nationals Park has become a recognized name among ballparks in this era, a corporate named stadium is inevitable and almost a necessity in order to allow teams the ability to retain their superstars.

While no company has officially bought the naming rights as of today, the season has yet to begin. Next season, we could possibly see Leidos Stadium, Exelon Park, or something completely different. Who knows?

Next: Nats interested in Chris Archer

Maybe even Bryce Harper Field at Under Armour Stadium. You never know.