Add Joe Torre officially to the list of bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The former Dodgers manager resigned from his executive position with MLB on Wednesday to team up with billionaire developer Rick Caruso to submit a bid on the franchise, which is to be sold by April 30.
"I have great confidence in Rick Caruso’s unique qualifications and his ability to lead a successful bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers," Torre said in a statement on Wednesday. "In Rick I found a partner who understands consumers and fully appreciates that the Dodgers are a treasured LA institution. Since moving to Los Angeles, I have seen firsthand Rick’s dedication to business and the people of Los Angeles. I am very excited about this new opportunity and also want to thank Commissioner Selig and Major League Baseball for providing me with invaluable baseball operations experience over the past 10 months."
Torre managed the Dodgers for three years, from 2008-2010, taking them to their only two trips to the NLCS in the last 23 seasons. He resigned at the end of the 2010 season, when it was announced Don Mattingly would take over as the next manager of the team. Torre had expressed an interest in joining the Dodgers front office in some capacity, but ended up taking an executive position with Major League Baseball instead.
Caruso is perhaps most known for developing The Grove at Farmers Market. In 2011 he was considered a potential candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, though never formally announcing his candidacy. Caruso, a trustee at USC, resigned from the Coliseum Commission, a position he held for three years, in September amid concerns of a conflict of interest while the commission was in lease negotiations with the school.
"I am a lifelong Angeleno; I love this city and have dedicated my career to creating world-class destinations that support this community and foster great customer experiences," Caruso said on Wednesday. "Joe and I believe in the Dodgers and Dodger fans and know that together we will foster a winning culture and deliver a premier, fan-focused baseball experience at Dodger Stadium."