Dodgers’ Sale Complete
TUESDAY, 12:09pm: The Dodgers' sale has closed, Shaikin tweets. The team announced the sale and listed the official sale price at $2 billion.
MONDAY, 7:51pm: The sale will not close today, reports Bill Shaikin of The Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The sale is not in danger and is expected to close early tomorrow.
9:23am: Frank McCourt is out and Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten are in. The sale of the Dodgers will close today, as expected, Yahoo's Tim Brown tweets. Lawyers from MLB and the incoming ownership group worked through the weekend to resolve outstanding issues.
Guggenheim Baseball Management agreed to buy the Dodgers for $2.15 billion last month, but the team has technically been McCourt's ever since. Dodgers fans can look forward to a return to prominence under Johnson, an NBA Hall of Famer, and Kasten, the former president of the Braves and Nationals. It's unclear whether the Dodgers will have payroll flexibility at the upcoming trade deadline.
Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
Rockies Notes: Cantu, Oswalt
The 11-11 Rockies are second in the National League in runs scored, but second-last in runs allowed. Here are some Rockies-related links as the second month of the season begins…
- The Rockies are having internal discussions about the possibility of pursuing Jorge Cantu, Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports. Cantu, who played for the Rockies' Triple-A team last year, elected free agency yesterday.
- Renck notes that Roy Oswalt never reciprocated the Rockies' interest this past offseason and suggests the right-hander is more likely to sign with a club such as Atlanta, Boston or Texas. No NL team has obtained fewer innings from the rotation than the Rockies (120 innings in 22 games).
Poll: The Best Minor League DH Deal
At least three teams are looking forward to a midseason infusion of offense from a veteran designated hitter. If all goes according to plan this summer, the Indians, Rays and Athletics will each add a DH nearing the end of his career. Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Manny Ramirez agreed to play on minor league deals and Vladimir Guerrero is in line for a similar contract if his workouts impress interested teams.
Teams take on minimal risk with these contracts, but there’s no guarantee that the players can hit enough to earn a 25-man roster spot. Damon, Matsui, Ramirez and Guerrero were once Hall of Fame caliber contributors, but they’re all at least 37 years old now, well into their decline. Which minor league deal will turn out best?
Which player will produce the most in 2012?
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Johnny Damon 52% (4,547)
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Manny Ramirez 20% (1,773)
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Vladimir Guerrero 16% (1,439)
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Hideki Matsui 12% (1,035)
Total votes: 8,794
Dodgers Notes: McCourt, Mattingly, Kemp
The Dodgers’ sale is expected to close today, ending the Frank McCourt era in Los Angeles. Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group fronted by Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten, could officially take ownership of the team within hours. In the meantime, here are the latest links related to the 16-7 Dodgers…
- Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said McCourt’s ownership ended well in some respects, but remains incomplete in others. "Things obviously worked out financially, but it still can't be what you came for,” he said, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times (on Twitter). “You want to win a championship."
- In a piece that focuses on the Rangers' impressive depth, Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports says the Dodgers would be a mediocre team without Matt Kemp.