Ken Rosenthal discusses the possible long-term sale of the Orioles to Cal Ripken at FoxSports.com. What gets me is this:

Ripken, 46, would need significant financial backing; the combined price for the Orioles and their new regional television network could exceed $800 million, according to one industry analyst.

Angelos paid $173 million for the team in 1993. I don’t know how much debt he’s taken on over the years, but with the success of the team for most of that time, Angelos probably earned about $400 to $500 million in equity. In other words, the Orioles have more than enough money to easily compete with the Yankees and Red Sox. The Orioles, however, don’t spend their money wisely. From what I’ve read, a lot has to do with Peter micromanaging the front office. No matter the excuse, there’s no reason for the Orioles not to go after the best players in the game, just like New York and Boston do. They have the money to make it happen.