A source told The Associated Press that Major League Baseball “probably” will file a motion in bankruptcy court to seize control of the Dodgers.
The AP describes its source as a person familiar with the league’s plans.
Baseball’s constitution allows commissioner Bud Selig to take control of a team that seeks Chapter 11 protection, with the Dodgers did with their bankruptcy filing Monday. MLB first must file a motion seeking termination of the franchise, and the person says that is “probably going to happen.” However, there is no timetable for that filing.
A Delaware judge on Tuesday authorized the Dodgers to enter into a $150 million bankruptcy financing arrangement. MLB has agreed to continue letting Frank McCourt run the team with the interim financing deal while providing its own terms for a new alternative financing plan. Additional hearings are scheduled for July 20.
Unless MLB can somehow get things moved up, it’s hard to imagine the league gaining control of the Dodgers in advance of the July 31 trade deadline. A league-owned Dodgers franchise would seemingly be less likely to sell off players in advance of the deadline. McCourt, meanwhile, has more incentive to shop arms like Hiroki Kuroda and Ted Lilly, even with his new loan.
