For months, a question has hung over the Dodgers.
With team owner Mark Walter facing a federal investigation into his business empire and unexpectedly selling his stakes in the Lakers and Chelsea Football Club this summer, would the billionaire businessman consider selling the Dodgers next?
In an exclusive interview with the California Post on Tuesday, Walter offered a definitive answer.
“We’re going to keep the team no matter what,” he said. “We’re going to win for 10 years or more. I think our commitment to doing it will be like it has been in the past. And, you know, we don’t win every year, but we’re going to try to do it.”
In other words, as everyone from team president Stan Kasten to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has said repeatedly in recent months, Walter plans for business as usual for his iconic baseball franchise.
“I certainly hope we can hope to win another World Series next year under my ownership,” he said. “And I think we’re just trying to win consistently, not just for next season, but for the next decade and decades beyond.”
The team has spent the last two months expressing the same sentiment. But these words coming out of Walter’s mouth are remarkable.
His comments come amid continued speculation surrounding the 66-year-old and his status as team owner and president.
Last year, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission began investigating potentially fraudulent loans made by insurance companies under his control to other companies he owns.
Weeks after that investigation became public in July, he surprisingly sold the Lakers to venture capitalist Josh Kushner and former Disney CEO Bob Iger at a valuation of $12.5 billion — flipping the franchise just a year after acquiring a majority stake in it from the Buss family at a valuation of $10 billion.
Later in August, he also began a process with his business partner, Todd Boehly (another member of the Walter-led Guggenheim Baseball Management Group and owner of the Dodgers), to sell their stakes in Chelsea FC of the English Premier League.
The moves came amid reports that Walter’s investment firm Guggenheim Partners was trying to raise capital for its insurance operations and rectify so-called “affiliated” loans that had attracted the attention of federal investigators and state regulators.
Walter’s holding company, TWG Global, released a statement in late August denying any wrongdoing and reaffirming Walter’s plans to retain ownership of the Dodgers.
Yet doubts remained as to whether his role within the team would indeed remain unchanged.
On Tuesday, while speaking to The Post on a call that also included Friedman, Walter publicly stated for the first time his intention to not only continue to own the Dodgers, but also back them with the same level of financial resources that allowed them to set MLB payroll records each of the last two seasons.
“We don’t see any glaring weaknesses that require our attention, but there’s always room for improvement,” he said of the club’s approach this offseason, following an unsuccessful three-peat World Series attempt that ended with a sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series this month.
“We will explore all possible avenues to make this team stronger,” he added.
Walter declined to comment on the federal investigation into his insurance companies, saying it was “not appropriate for me to comment while the investigation is ongoing.”
However, he was adamant that the sale of the Lakers had “nothing to do with the Dodgers” and that he was not actively pursuing the basketball team until Kushner approached him with a record offer which he accepted within 72 hours.
Walter also declined to comment on recent Bloomberg reports that he was considering selling the WNBA Sparks, but again reiterated that it would have no bearing on his Dodgers’ ownership status.
As one of MLB’s top 30 owners, Walter will participate in the league’s ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement; which are taking place amid a messy union fight with the MLB Players Association that is likely to lead to a lockout this offseason and could threaten the start of the 2027 campaign.
While the league has already begun pushing for a salary cap, Walter refused to give his position on the issue.
What he was confident in was that whatever new (and potentially stricter) spending rules a new CBA might entail, the Dodgers should be well-positioned to continue the dominance they enjoyed as a three-time World Series champion, five-time National League pennant winner and 13-time NL West champion during his 15 years as owner.
“It’s not just about spending,” he said. “Our farm system is pretty strong, and that and player development are very important things for us. So I think on any playing field we’ll always be among the elite teams.”
Friedman echoed that sentiment, pointing to the Dodgers’ track record of organizational success under Walter’s ownership.
“In every moment since I’ve been with the Dodgers, (Walter’s) financial support and aggressiveness has been seemingly unmatched,” Friedman said, adding, “I think the fact that we’re all aligned with that has contributed to the success we’ve had looking back, and I think we’re well positioned for future success.”
Despite the uncertainties that have surrounded him this year, Walter insisted that the future will continue to present him as a Dodgers owner.
“I really hope the fans feel how much we appreciate them, because we are all fans too,” he said. “And this (year) was kind of a bad end to the season for us. But you have to look at how we’ve done every year and really realize that they’re going to come back and support us again next year, because we’re going to compete for a World Series again.”
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