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The only people who really know what's going on with the Padres ownership are likely the 30 team owners and the commissioner. But it's interesting to watch from the outside. Do the other owners not like Jeff Moorad because he's a former player agent? Or do they not think he's going to run the team the "right" way? (Meaning aligned with the long term profitability of the entire league, I'm sure they don't care whether he does right from a baseball perspective.) Or something else entirely? Given the astronomical price tag for the Dodgers, maybe Moores wanted to kill the deal to hold out for more money?

The Union Tribune has been following the story as best as they can, with this morning's piece the most detailed yet. I found this passage interesting:

Divorces involving owners of major league clubs command special attention of the commissioner's office, which has no desire for a divorce lawyer to gain access to the financial records of a ballclub, let alone the league's books.

How secretive they are of those precious books. We wouldn't want the players or the fans to know how obscenely profitable these teams really are! They might demand bigger contracts or oppose spending so much public money on new ballparks. Also: wouldn't Moores' wife have had access to the books during the 44 years they were married? Couldn't they settle the amounts in private? Oh well, a minor detail in the story.

The timing of this whole thing, right around the start of the season when everyone's interest in baseball is high, is fascinating for an outsider but unfortunate for everyone involved.