Dodgers owner Frank McCourt finally got his face-to-face meeting with MLB commissioner Bud Selig on Wednesday, though neither side is revealing much about the meeting. What seems clear, however, is that Selig is playing a waiting game with McCourt. Selig met with reporters on Thursday.
The Dodgers are believed to be unable to make payroll at the end of May, though McCourt insists that if Selig would simply approve his long-term television deal with Fox, which provides upfront money for this season, the Dodgers' current financial woes would disappear. Understandably, MLB is concerned with McCourt's continued practice of borrowing from tomorrow to pay today, and appear set on taking their time, letting the situation play out, which is bad news for McCourt, who already borrowed money last month from Fox to help pay expenses, including payroll.
Still, Selig insists the outcome of MLB's investigation of the Dodgers isn't predetermined, a charge levied by McCourt in recent weeks. But that doesn't mean MLB will move quickly either. "'Nobody is using the Dean Smith four-corner offense. We're trying to move as fast as possible,'' Selig told the Associated Press on Thursday.
"Look, everybody has moved in as expeditious a manner as possible. They'll continue to do that, but I can't set a timeline," Selig told Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times on Thursday. Meanwhile, we wait until the end of the month, wondering what moves from either side will happen next.