Travis Kelce is adding a new title to his burgeoning business portfolio: Major League Baseball owner.
The Kansas City Chiefs tight end is joining the Cleveland Guardians' ownership group as a minority investor, he told ESPN on Wednesday, purchasing a stake in the team he grew up watching and reconnecting with the game he once believed offered the clearest path to a professional sports career.
"I have so much love for this city," Kelce told ESPN. "I say it all the time: I'm just a kid from the Heights living the dream. I credit every good thing in my life to Cleveland and being raised here with the values and the people and the work ethic. Cleveland Heights is such a diverse and dynamic place. Every friend, neighbor, teacher and teammate -- they all made me the man I am today. It just fueled such a deep appreciation for life and community and service. That mentality of Cleveland against the world runs deep.
"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."
Kelce, 36, is the latest active professional athlete to acquire an equity stake in an MLB team. Other current athletes who have become minority investors in baseball teams include LeBron James (Boston Red Sox), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Brewers), Cade Cunningham (Texas Rangers) and Kelce's Chiefs teammate Patrick Mahomes, who in July 2020 became a minority owner of the Kansas City Royals.
The Guardians are valued around $1.7 billion -- a stark increase from their $1 billion valuation in 2022, when lead minority owner David Blitzer purchased a stake in the team that includes a pathway to majority ownership.