Juan Soto reportedly rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from the Washington Nationals over the weekend, potentially changing the dynamics of which baseball team in the area—the Nationals or the Baltimore Orioles—is the better buy.

The Nationals are for sale, with the Lerner family ownership reportedly looking for $3 billion. Just an hour north of Nationals Park, the Orioles could also be for sale soon because of turmoil in the family that has long controlled the team. In the latest, Louis Angelos sued his brother John and their mother, Georgia.

In March, Forbes valued the Nationals at $2 billion and the Orioles at $1.38 billion. The Nationals won the World Series in 2019 and have been a much better team than the Orioles for most of the past decade. As a result, the Nationals have been drawing about one third more fans than the Orioles. In 2021, the Nationals posted revenue of $322 million versus $251 million for the Orioles.

But on the field this season, the two teams have traded places. The Orioles are playing .500 baseball and are just 3.5 games out of an American League wild-card spot while the Nationals are playing at a .330 clip and 19 games out of the postseason in the National League. Moreover, the Orioles have baseball’s lowest payroll at $45 million, compared with $135 million for the Nationals. Worse, the Nationals have long had a habit of deferring contracts. The Orioles have $15.8 million in deferred or retained (buyouts or releases) salaries this season versus $29.5 million for the Nationals. And the Nats are on the hook for $23 million in deferred contracts in 2023 compared with $15 million for the Orioles.

That’s why a new owner for the Orioles would be coming into a situation with much more financial flexibility than they would with the Nationals. And should Soto depart for another team, the situation on the diamond could become even more favorable for the Orioles.