Mark Walter assures Dodgers stay put after Lakers sale, keeping Ohtani safe

Mark Walter, who recently sold the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion, told reporters he will retain ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a franchise he and Guggenheim Baseball Management acquired from the McCourt family for $2.15 billion in 2012. Forbes now values the club at $7.8 billion, reflecting its rise from near bankruptcy to a premier MLB power. A unique clause in Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal allows him to enter free agency if Walter or Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman depart, a safety net Ohtani highlighted at his introductory press conference.

Walter’s sports empire also spans the Los Angeles Sparks, English club Chelsea, French side Strasbourg, the Cadillac Formula 1 team and the entire Professional Women’s Hockey League. Shared executives such as Farhan Zaidi and Andrew Friedman have been advising both the Dodgers and the Lakers, though the impact of the Lakers sale on that arrangement remains uncertain.