Franchise Notes

Chaifetz May Be Involved In Group Bidding For Rams

In St. Louis, Howard Balzer reports ComPsych Corp. Chair & CEO Dr. Richard Chaifetz "did not deny Wednesday that he is involved in a group trying to purchase" the Rams. While "not directly admitting his involvement, Chaifetz spent 10 minutes on the phone asking questions about what was being said in St. Louis about the sale of the Rams." NFL sources said that while Chaifetz "might not be the lead investor of the group, he 'is among those in the running'" (GLOBE-DEMOCRAT.com, 2/4). Meanwhile, PRO FOOTBALL TALK's Mike Florio cited a league source as saying that the "word on the street -- as in, literally, Wall Street -- is that" SCP Worldwide Chair Dave Checketts "doesn't have the money to buy" the Rams. The source indicated that Checketts "has not been able to line up enough investors to buy the team" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 2/3).

NOT OVER YET: SI.com's Jon Heyman wrote it is believed that the Astros bid group led by former IBAF President Harvey Schiller and Mark Isaacson, the lead negotiator for N.Y.-based investment firm Great Court Capital, "will still have a chance to meet the asking price that is said to be at least" $600M. Astros Owner Drayton McLane's intention "appears to be to act like he has little interest in selling," but this is the "second foray in recent years into a possible sale, and this one seems serious." Meanwhile, there are "rumors of trouble in the Rangers' deal to sell the team to the group led by Chuck Greenberg and Nolan Ryan," but sources close to Greenberg said that he "remains unworried" (SI.com, 2/3).

MAKING PROGRESS: The D'Backs' contract commitments for the '10 season are "near their $75[M] budget," and Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said, "We had started out with a roughly mid-70s number that we wanted to work with, but recognized that the economy would probably put stress on the market. And if there was a significant piece or significant opportunity that would come along in an area where we had a need, that [GM Josh Byrnes] could feel free, and come back and let us know." MLB.com's Steve Gilbert noted the team's "final payroll number will not be known until the club reaches an agreement" with P Edwin Jackson. The team "has not had a player go to an arbitration hearing under Byrnes, and Kendrick said the team is open to the possibility of avoiding the process in the future by signing key players to multiyear deals" (MLB.com, 2/3).

SALE IN LIMBO? In Toronto, Chris Zelkovich reports CFL BOG members yesterday at their meetings in West Palm Beach were told that the Argonauts' ownership issue was "being taken off the day's agenda." There are "no guarantees a deal will be done this week" for Argonauts co-Owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski to sell the team to B.C. Lions Owner David Braley. A source said that the two sides are "still talking but Braley is reassessing his offer after getting a closer look at the Argos' books." Cynamon and Sokolowski "have little wiggle room as they haven't been able to find another suitor or partner, even with league commissioner Mark Cohon working behind the scenes to help them" (TORONTO STAR, 2/4).