Interest Cools on Local Group Buying Angels

An Orange County investment partnership has tempered its interest in buying the Angels in part because it believes the Walt Disney Co. wants to sell its baseball team to Florida Marlin owner John Henry, a source said Monday.

Under several scenarios being considered by major league executives, Henry would dissolve or sell the Marlins, using the proceeds to buy the Angels from Disney.

Paul Pressler, who oversees the Angels and Mighty Ducks as chairman of Disney’s parks and resorts division, said the company is interested in--but not committed to--selling its money-losing sports teams. “Our criteria are a quality owner for Anaheim and a fair return for our shareholders,” Pressler said. “That guides our decision-making.”

The local investment group has considered bidding for the Angels for several months but has been dissuaded by the estimated $300-million price tag Disney put on its baseball team when it nearly sold both teams two years ago, the source said.

Henry, who spent his teenage years in Apple Valley and founded his commodities trading firm in Newport Beach, has reportedly told associates he would like to take over the Angels. Henry has been unable to secure a baseball-only stadium for the Marlins, an issue already resolved in Anaheim with Disney’s renovation of Edison Field.

In a statement, Henry said he and Commissioner Bud Selig had “very, very rarely ever discussed” the possibilities of selling or folding the Marlins over the past year.

Selig has dispatched former Baltimore Oriole and San Diego Padre President Larry Lucchino to Miami to assist Henry in evaluating prospects for a new ballpark in South Florida. Henry said he would next discuss the Marlins’ future “when and if our ballpark issues are resolved.”

Selig said Sunday that contraction remained a workable option and could be implemented as soon as next season, although industry analysts are skeptical. Owners are expected to discuss contraction and a new labor agreement when they meet next week in Chicago.