Braves Chair & CEO Terry McGuirk Thursday said that he was "not aware of the Forbes' report" suggesting that Liberty Media may sell the franchise, "nor of any plans by Liberty to sell the team," according to Jeff Schultz of the ATLANTA CONSTITUTION. McGuirk: "I haven't seen the article -- I don't know anything about it. The subject is not something that's even in my thinking right now. We're getting ready for the current season." McGuirk added of a potential sale of the team, "Other than saying I don't know about it, I wouldn't comment beyond it." Schultz noted if a sale occurs, it "almost certainly wouldn't be during this season." Liberty "agreed to own the team through baseball's current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which doesn't expire until December." The Braves' "tight budget has not been met with cheers by a majority of the fan base." Schultz added, "I'm assuming the news that the team may be for sale will not be met with disappointment" (AJC.com, 3/24). Liberty Media "has not announced any plans to unload" the Braves, but Chair John Malone is "famous for making use of tax advantages, and he has said Liberty Media doesn't consider the baseball team a strategic asset" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/23).
