Billionaire Missouri native David Hoffmann says he’d be interested in buying the St. Louis Cardinals someday, even though the franchise isn’t currently available.
Hoffmann made the comments Thursday during a St. Louis Business Journal event, explaining that his family hopes to eventually add a Major League Baseball team after finalizing its controlling stake in the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
“We’d like that to be the Cardinals,” Hoffmann said, though he admitted he hasn’t spoken with the DeWitt family, the current owners of the team. When asked whether the Cardinals were actually for sale, Hoffmann replied, “Everybody tells us no.”
The Cardinals have since pushed back on any ownership speculation. Chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said recently there are no plans for a sale, and team president Bill DeWitt III echoed that stance Friday, saying the family remains committed to St. Louis.
Hoffmann, who grew up in Washington, Missouri, built his wealth through executive search firm DHR International and now leads the Hoffmann Family of Companies, which operates hundreds of businesses worldwide. He has also expanded into sports ownership in recent years.
For now, it’s mostly just talk, but it’s something to keep an eye on if the Cardinals’ ownership picture ever changes.