About 12 groups submitted initial bids to purchase the Dodgers from Frank McCourt, according to several sources. Among the most notable bidders were Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former YES Network CEO Leo Hindery, according to two sources. One of the people also confirmed a Los Angeles Times report that Stan Kroenke was involved in the bidding. Kroenke already controls the St. Louis Rams, Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, Arsenal of the English Premier League and Colorado Rapids of MLS. Some of the other groups include former Lakers star Magic Johnson, former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley and former agent Dennis Gilbert.

A Los Angeles judge has ratified a binding agreement between outgoing Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and his former wife Jamie McCourt in their divorce case. Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon on Thursday signed off on the settlement that calls for Frank McCourt to pay his ex-wife $131M by the end of April.

Ryan Braun's appeal of his positive drug test began Thursday before baseball arbitrator Shyam Das. The start of the NL MVP's appeal, first reported by the New York Daily News, was confirmed by a person familiar with the session who spoke on condition of anonymity because the proceeding was not to be made public.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic have arrested Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona and accused him of using a false ID to try to obtain a U.S. visa, a police spokesman said. Colonel Maximo Aybar Baez, a spokesman for the Dominican police, said on his Twitter account that Carmona, whose actual name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia, was arrested after leaving the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic on Thursday. Authorities said Heredia is 31 years old and not 28, as he has claimed.

The Chicago Police Department is expecting to talk to Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro about a sexual assault accusation when the All-Star is in town for this weekend's fan convention, according to a source. A woman accused Castro of sexual assault last fall, but no charges have been filed and Castro's representatives deny the allegation. "I don't think it's the right time or forum to talk about that," Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said Wednesday. "As facts develop and the story evolves, there will be an appropriate time to talk about that."

The Dodgers and Fox settled their lawsuit late Tuesday night, removing an impediment to the sale of the bankrupt team. In a motion filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, the Dodgers said they were abandoning their attempt to sell future media rights and will adhere to their contract with Fox's Prime Ticket subsidiary, which kept intact its exclusive negotiating window from Oct. 15 through Nov. 30 this year. "This agreement is a significant step towards a successful sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers," the team said in a statement. "It resolves all of the parties' differences relating to the telecast rights agreement with Fox. This consensual resolution of all disputes between the Debtors and Fox will enable the sale of the Dodgers to proceed forward, free of any uncertainty relating to the various issues under dispute, with the continued objective of maximizing value for the Debtors and their estates."

Stanley Gold and members of the Disney family plan to bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to sources. The family of the late Roy Disney has partnered with Gold, entrusting the man who runs the family investment firm to lead the charge for the team. The partnership was disclosed Saturday by a person familiar with the bid, but not authorized to discuss it.

Chicago police are investigating an accusation that Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro sexually assaulted a woman last fall. No charges have been filed at this time and Castro's representatives deny the allegation. WBBM Newsradio reports that the unidentified woman, who is in her 20s, was at a River North nightclub Sept. 29 when she met Castro. After 3 a.m. CT, she went with a friend to his apartment, where she alleges that the assault took place. The woman went to a hospital the next evening and police became involved, while Castro left for his offseason in the Dominican Republic.

Tigers star Miguel Cabrera pleaded no contest Thursday in Florida to drunken driving. Cabrera accepted a deal that spares him jail time. Charges of resisting an officer without violence and having an open container in a vehicle were dropped. He was arrested in Fort Pierce in February after refusing to take a field sobriety test.

At least six prospective bidders for the Dodgers have received initial clearance from MLB to enter into discussions with the New York investment group handling the sale, according to multiple sources close to the process who were not authorized to speak publicly.