The story hit Twitter earlier today that the investment group headed by Howard Schiller failed to make an offer during its 30-day exclusive negotiating window. That means Drayton McLane still owns the Astros and is no closer to selling than he was two years ago.
I've spent thousands of words talking about a possible sale, so I'm not going to say much here that I haven't already said. I wonder if any team will be able to come up with 700 million for the Astros or whether anyone would be willing to overpay by that much. One of the main reasons why the Rangers sale went so quickly is that MLB stepped in to intervene (yes, even if it is a 'trainwreck' that's not even finalized yet). Without such a driving force, the Astros will probably stay on the market for a while longer.
It's also interesting to note that the Pirates shot down two reports recently that people tried to purchase the team. Unlike Drayton, Robert Nutting and Co. don't really have a good reason to sell. I'm sure this is more common than we think. The thing that sets this apart from Drayton is he actually granted a negotiating window, meaning he's willing to actually sell if the money's right. Until we hear differently, let's hope this all quiets down for a while.