Who wants to buy the Dodgers? Initially as many as fifteen to twenty groups are interested. Today all opening bids are due. But the deadline is not a hard and fast rule. Other prospective offers can be made in the future, if lucrative enough. Blackstone Advisory Partners, chosen by Frank McCourt, will handle the offers. It could field as many as twenty offers overall.

From there, MLB will select the top ten. Their selection, however, has appellate review. There are different options from both sides if a group is or isn’t selected and wishes to contest that decision.

Then McCourt will select the group he wants. In the end, McCourt will make fortunes. He bought the team for $430 million in 2004. The sale due date is April 1, claim some news reports.

Among the bidders are Steve Garvey/Orel Hershiser, a Fred Claire group, Tom Golisano, and Alan Casden who bid before. Also make news are bidders Dennis Gilbert, Peter O’Malley who may or may not join with the Stanley Gold – Disney family group. Also bidding are Tonny Ressler, husband of actress Jami Gertz.

Rounding the field are Ron Burkle, Tom Barrack, Steven Cohen with Arn Tellem, Mark Cuban, Magic Johnson – Stan Kasten, and Joe Torre – Rick Caruso.

LALATE predicts Caruso to be lead the pack. “The Dodgers are an iconic franchise, and I am thrilled to partner with Joe Torre, one of baseball’s all-time greats, to launch a bid for this storied organization,” Caruso said in a news statement. “Joe has a proven track record of fielding winning teams and I am looking forward to our group benefiting from his unique experience.

McCourt will in the end select the “highest and best bid.” Of note, the sale is for the team, not for the parking lots. But McCourt has the option to include all land in the deal, an option that Caruso and other developer/bidders will definitely want.