Dodgers President Addresses Sale Rumors After Mark Walter Sells Lakers for Record $12.5B

In the wake of Mark Walter's surprise decision to sell the Los Angeles Lakers, there doesn't appear to be any indication within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization that they are going to change owners.

Dodgers president Stan Kasten dismissed any rumors of a sale when asked about the situation on Friday.

"The Dodgers are not being sold. They're not for sale. There's no process that has been started to sell it, period," Kasten told reporters. "We are planning only to win."

Kasten went on to explain that Walter views the Dodgers differently than he did the Lakers.

"I can't tell you how important the Dodgers are to Mark," Kasten said. "The Lakers thing? The Lakers were important to him too, but it's kind of an extraordinary opportunity, which he took."

Walter, whose purchase of the Lakers was approved by the NBA board of governors in October 2025, agreed to sell the franchise at a record $12.5 billion valuation to Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner on Aug. 12.

Given the lack of any hint the Lakers were even on the market, there was immediate speculation about the possibility of the Dodgers being available.

Kasten previously said the Lakers' sale was "not really a Dodgers story" because they are "completely separate" and there were "no changes" to what the MLB club was doing.

A Dodgers sale could have huge ramifications on MLB beyond who is in charge of the franchise. Shohei Ohtani negotiated into his contract a "key man" clause that allows him to opt out if Walter or president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman were to leave the organization.

Per The Athletic's Sam Blum and Stephen J. Nesbitt, Ohtani would be "unlikely" to use his opt-out if it came into play. He is under contract through the 2033 season, though he will be owed $680 million in deferred money that gets paid out over 10 years starting in 2034.

Walter has been the controlling owner of the Dodgers since 2012. He was part of the Guggenheim Baseball Management group that purchased the club from Frank McCourt for $2.15 billion, a record sale price at the time for an MLB franchise.

The Dodgers have made the playoffs every year during Walter's tenure as controlling owner. They have won three World Series titles in five appearances, including each of the last two years.

If the Dodgers win a World Series again this season, they will become the first team to three-peat since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.