Travis Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, has acquired a minority ownership interest in the Cleveland Guardians, the Major League Baseball team he adored during his childhood.
As reported by ESPN, Kelce has recently become part of the ownership group of the Guardians, a team he has long supported. This move ties him directly to the MLB franchise from his youth.
The Cleveland Guardians are currently valued at approximately $1.7 billion, marking a significant increase of $700 million since David Blitzer, the lead minority owner, took on his stake in 2022.
Kelce’s entry into the ownership circle was facilitated by Blitzer, who also holds ownership roles with the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers. Blitzer is poised to potentially assume majority ownership of the Guardians after the 2027 season.
“I have so much love for this city,” Kelce expressed to ESPN. “I often say I’m just a kid from the Heights living the dream. Everything good in my life, I owe to Cleveland and the upbringing I had here, with its values, people, and work ethic.”
“Cleveland Heights is such a diverse and dynamic place,” he continued. “Every friend, neighbor, teacher, and teammate has shaped who I am today. It instilled in me a profound appreciation for life, community, and service. That ‘Cleveland against the world’ mentality runs deep within me.”
Travis Kelce has bought a minority stake in the Cleveland Guardians, his boyhood MLB team
Kelce was a standout young baseball player in Cleveland and grew up a huge Guardians fan
‘I’ve been lucky enough to have a front-row seat to good ownership in my career, and I know the best teams prioritize culture.
‘Everyone is there to play their role, and right now, I’m here to observe and learn and really to support the team and the city when and where I can.’
It comes at a busy time for Kelce, who is preparing to marry fiancee Taylor Swift in early July and also start offseason activities with the Chiefs ahead of the new NFL season.
Last week, Kelce and Swift sat courtside as they watched his beloved Cleveland Cavaliers lose to the New York Knicks in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals.
Kelce joins a growing list of elite sports stars to invest their money into MLB teams.
LeBron James owns a stake in the Boston Red Sox, Giannis Antetokounmpo is a minority owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, while Kelce’s best friend and Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes became a minority owner with the Kansas City Royals in 2020.
Kelce is a self-proclaimed Guardians ‘diehard’ and watched them during the team’s impressive run during the 1990s.
Then known as the Cleveland Indians, a young Kelce watched on with father Ed as they won five American League Central division titles in a row.
Kelce and Taylor Swift kiss at an NBA game last week as they prepare to get married soon
Kelce will return for a 14th NFL season after signing a new one-year, $12m deal with the Chiefs
Before he committed to pursuing a career in the NFL and was recruited by the University of Cincinnati, Kelce was a standout baseball talent in the Cleveland area. As a senior in 2008, he hit .588 with six home runs.
‘I think I had always felt most confident on the diamond,’ he added. ‘I was playing every sport growing up, but baseball was actually the only one I had early interest from scouts, so I really did think it was a viable option for me. The football thing chose me at the end of the day, and when I moved to tight end it really took off for me.
‘I mean, it’s hard to find a better feeling in sports than hitting a home run. But the best part about playing baseball growing up for me was enjoying it with the fellas and their families I played with.
‘I was lucky enough to be on some great teams growing up on the east side of Cleveland.’
Kelce is growing a business empire away from football as he continues to wind down his NFL career. After speculation he may retire this summer, Kelce signed a new one-year contract with the Chiefs worth $12m for a 14th season.
He also owns part of the Alpine Formula One team, while he also has stakes in an amusement park company, a mattress company, a beer company, a restaurant and his New Heights podcast with his older brother, Jason.
