GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Hedge fund magnate Stevie Cohen strengthened his chances to buy the Dodgers by adding the richest man in Los Angeles to his star-studded team. Cohen looks like a strong favorite to win the team, and Magic Johnson's best hope to own the Dodgers may depend on his ability to appeal to outgoing owner Frank McCourt's desire to have his reputation rehabilitated locally, baseball sources say.

The Connecticut-based Cohen surprised folks by convincing Los Angeles billionaire scientist/entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong to go with him rather than Johnson, who had sold his stake in the Lakers to Soon-Shiong and was thought close to Soon-Shiong. The Los Angeles Times reported Soon-Shiong's ultimate decision to rebuff Johnson in favor of Cohen.

Several big investors have been staying on the sidelines while waiting to see which group has the upper hand in the bidding. Cohen, with a reported $8-to-15 billion in net worth, is perceived as the favorite. MLB has approved Cohen to this point, and sources say he will not be eliminated based on innuendo; there have been past reports in the Wall St. Journal the SEC is investigating his form SAC Capital.

MLB officials don't believe it's fair to eliminate anyone based on conjecture. After its experience with cash-poor owners lately, Cohen probably appeals to MLB, too.

McCourt is the one who's been given the call on the buyer, and there's little reason to think he'd pick anyone but the high bidder. Soon-Shiong was pegged by Forbes to be worth $7 billion, but sometimes those estimates are light (they have Cohen at $8 billion). The Cohen team also includes respected baseball agent Arn Tellem and iconic manager Tony La Russa. Also in the final four for the Dodgers are Stan Kroenke, the owner of the St. Louis Rams, Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche, and a team of Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley and Los Angeles investment magnate Tony Ressler, who is a limited partner of the Milwaukee Brewers.

The team of Johnson and Kasten holds great appeal for MLB as Johnson is a popular icon, especially in Los Angeles, and Kasten, the former president of the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals, is very experienced in baseball and close to commissioner Bud Selig. While the Magic-Kasten bid is said to be for $1.6 billion to $1.5 billion for Cohen, it is logical to think it's going to be hard to win a bidding war vs. Cohen's team, which now has at least $15 billion in net worth, and probably a lot more than that.

Johnson's best hope now is to appeal to McCourt, whose image is in the toilet. Johnson might have the best chance to help him there if Johnson is willing to try to boost him publicly by somehow claiming McCourt isn't the person everyone already knows him to be.