Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
Los Angeles Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten has repeatedly urged the public that his business partner and team owner Mark Walter will not part with organization even after deciding to do so with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kasten most recently delivered a statement prior to the series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night, in which he reiterated that Walter’s sale of the Lakers was “one of those one-of-a-kind things” and that the decision is unrelated to the Dodgers as a business.
It should be noted that Walter is reportedly exploring divesting his shares of the Chelsea Football Club as well.
Whether or not Walter’s situation truly has opened the door for a change of ownership for the Dodgers remains to be seen. While no talks have taken place up to this point, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong would be interested if the possibility of a sale is on the table, according to Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times.
“We respect Mr. Walter, and we want to make it clear we have not spoken with him,” said Chuck Kenworthy, the family attorney for Soon-Shiong. “If at some point he would like to discuss the Dodgers, we would be very open to talking.”
Soon-Shiong was in the running for new Dodgers ownership the last time they were sold in 2012. He attempted to purchase the team alongside Steve Cohen. The offer backed by Soon-Shiong and Cohen amounted to $1.6 billion, which was second to the $2.15 billion offer submitted by the Guggenheim Baseball Management group.
Soon-Shiong is a minority owner of the Lakers. Meanwhile, Cohen eventually bought his way into MLB ownership with his purchase of the New York Mets for $2.4 billion in 2020.
The Mets owner has also chimed in on Walter’s situation, wishing him the best and hoping he can put the investigation behind him.
More statements from Stan Kasten on Dodgers’ future
Seemingly in effort to raise capital, Walter reportedly approached Charter Communications with an offer to end the Spectrum SportsNet and SportsNet LA TV deals in exchange for a lump sum.
Kasten declared that report, and Walter’s purported exploring of selling his ownership in Chelsea, as “mischaracterized” but declined to provide an explanation or details behind his stance.
Kasten further added that he has had constant communication with Walter, which is why he felt confident to relay a change in ownership with the Dodgers is not forthcoming.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
