Major League Baseball is reportedly on the verge of naming the new owner of the Washington Nationals, and the D.C. Council voted Tuesday to let the league make its call without interference.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig reportedly favors the group led by Ted Lerner, his family and former Atlanta Braves President Stan Kasten. Bethesda-based Lerner built a real estate empire and was one of the first to develop malls in the D.C. area.