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Washington Nationals right to sell spring training facility naming rights

By Drew Douglas

WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 28: The Washington Nationals logo on one of the practice fields at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches prior to a spring training game against the Houston Astros on February 28, 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 28: The Washington Nationals logo on one of the practice fields at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches prior to a spring training game against the Houston Astros on February 28, 2017 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) /
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The Washington Nationals recently sold the naming rights to their spring training facility in West Palm Beach. Here’s how it will affect the team.

Last year, the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros prepared for the regular season at the brand new Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. The two teams reported to the beautiful facility once again earlier this week, but it will soon acquire a new name.

On Friday, it was reported that the Nats and Astros sold the facility naming rights to FITTEAM, a fitness beverage company. The terms of the deal are not yet known, but this is great news for the Nats.

The facility, which cost $135 million to build, cost the Nats about $15 million last spring. They will be making payments on the facility for years to come, so selling the naming rights will help cover some of the hefty fees.

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The Nats are also in a position where they need all the money they can get. Their television dispute with the Baltimore Orioles remains unsettled, which puts the Nats at a disadvantage compared to their competition.

Teams are receiving millions every year from lucrative television deals, but the Nats receive just a small portion of the MASN revenue. As a point of reference, the Los Angeles Dodgers are set to receive $8.35 billion over 25 years from Time Warner Cable.

The Nats also have one of the highest payrolls in the league. They have already eclipsed the luxury tax threshold for 2017, and could presumably add quite a bit to their already-high payroll next winter.

Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Gio Gonzalez, and Ryan Madson are all set to become free agents after the season, and they could each be costly to retain.

The most notable pending free agent, both for the Nats and the entire league, is Harper. The 25-year-old superstar is about nine months from embarking on the most anticipated free agency of all-time, and will likely sign the largest contract in the history of the sport.

If the Nats are going to sign Harper to a long-term deal, which is something they appear inclined to do, it will be extremely costly. With several high-profile players already in tow, a Harper megadeal could give the Nats the highest payroll in the league.

In addition to selling the naming rights to their spring training facility, the Nats are reportedly attempting to sell the Nationals Park naming rights. This has been an ongoing process for about a year, with Mars and MGM appearing to be frontrunners, but there has not been much progress.

If the Nats are able to find a buyer for their stadium naming rights, it would create yet another source of income. With everything that appears to be on the horizon, this would be extremely beneficial.

Next: Adam Eaton's return bolsters Nats lineup

Selling the naming rights to their spring training facility is an under-the-radar move, but it could pay huge dividends. The Nats are a bit handicapped financially, but this could be the start of them finally making some progress on a couple fronts.

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