Two companies owned by Dodgers chairman and owner Mark Walter — TWG Global and Guggeinheim Partners — are part of multiple federal investigations regarding insurance investments.
After Walter sold the Lakers for $12.5 billion — a sale that is being contested by Jeanie Buss — the natural speculation was that the Dodgers might be next on the block. Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten has twice in the last two weeks at Dodger Stadium — once on August 12 and again on August 26 — has stated emphatically
the Dodgers are not for sale.
TWG Global issued a press release on Wednesday denying any insurance fraud, and also addressed reports that the company would sell more sports properties to raise capital for its insurance operations:
Regarding the proposed sale of the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion, Mr. Walter was approached by Josh Kushner and his team about this transaction and the agreement represents a 25% premium to the price paid by Mr. Walter less than a year ago (and an even higher premium to the $5.0 billion valuation Mr. Walter paid in 2021)—hardly a “fire sale.”
Regarding the Los Angeles Dodgers, to be clear, the team is not being sold and no sale process has been initiated.
Jeff Passan at ESPN on Tuesday interviewed financial fraud expert Tom Gober regarding how the investigations into Walter might affect his ownership of the Dodgers.
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Clayton Kershaw has been a part of some NBC Sports baseball broadcasts this season, both on the pregame show and as occasional analyst on pitching while sitting near a dugout. But Tuesday in Atlanta was Kershaw’s first game as an analyst in the booth, part of the SportsNet LA broadcast alongside Joe Davis. Kershaw talked with Jack Harris at the California Post about the experience.
With Tyler Glasnow back alongside Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Blake Snell in the rotation, and thinking about Shohei Ohtani’s left knee and potentially pulling double duty in October, Dylan Hernández at the California Post asked, “Unless Ohtani is absolutely lights out on the mound – which, it should be stressed, is entirely possible – what’s the point of him pitching if it will take away from how he can most impact the Dodgers?”
Glasnow will pitch on Sunday against the Tigers in four days rest, manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Wednesday, and whether he starts or follow’s Ohtani’s planned one inning likely depends on how Ohtani’s bullpen session goes on Friday in Detroit.
