Heath Freeman to Buy Earthquakes for Reported $625M

John Fisher has agreed to sell the San Jose Earthquakes and PayPal Park to investor Heath Freeman for a reported $625 million, with Major League Soccer’s board unanimously approving the deal and closing expected in the coming weeks. Freeman, president and co-founder of Alden Global Capital, said he aims to build a winning club for San Jose and the region; he has also held leadership roles in professional bull riding and beach volleyball. Fisher owned the team for nearly 20 years, during which it made the playoffs six times and he financed PayPal Park. The sale comes as Fisher prepares to move his MLB Athletics franchise to Las Vegas for the 2028 season. Freeman’s connection to Alden, which has drawn criticism for deep newsroom cuts at newspapers it owns, has attracted scrutiny, though he is buying the team as an individual. San Jose finished fourth in the Western Conference this season and is set to host Houston in the playoffs.