Disney family, Peter O'Malley consider joint Dodgers bid

Peter O'Malley and Stanley Gold recently met to discuss whether the family of the former Dodgers owner and the family of the late Roy Disney might join forces in bidding for the Dodgers.

The meeting was confirmed by a person briefed on the discussion but not authorized to discuss it. The person said he did not know whether O'Malley and Gold would meet again.

Opening bids for the Dodgers are due Monday, although prospective bid groups are expected to consider mergers before and after that day.

Roy Disney is the nephew of Walt Disney. Gold runs the family investment firm. Both Gold and O'Malley have met with prospective investors, trying to line up financial backing for an auction in which the Dodgers could fetch in the range of $1.5 billion.

Also Wednesday, federal agents arrested Jon Horvath, a New York technology analyst; he is charged with insider trading. The Wall Street Journal reported that Horvath works at a division of SAC Capital Advisors, whose founder Steven Cohen is bidding for the Dodgers. 

Two former SAC fund managers have pleaded guilty to insider trading charges, but this is the first time such charges have been leveled against a current SAC employee, according to the Wall Street Journal. Horvath's attorney said his client has done nothing wrong.

Neither Cohen nor his firm has been charged. Still, the development is particularly ill-timed for Cohen, as Major League Baseball conducts investigations on potential Dodgers bidders. The league has agreed to approve up to 10 bidders, after which outgoing owner Frank McCourt will select the winner.

A spokesman for Cohen declined to comment beyond saying the firm "is continuing to cooperate with the government investigation."

ALSO:

Poll: Is Tim Lincecum worth $21.5 million?

Frank McCourt might keep Dodger Stadium parking lots

Dodgers sign Ethier and Loney but are not close on Kershaw

— Bill Shaikin

Photo: Former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley sits in front of former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda at the 2008 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Credit: Mike Groll / Associated Press