Red Sox owners agree to sell team

BOSTON -- In a $660 million deal that would double the record price for a baseball team, the limited partners of the Boston Red Sox voted unanimously Thursday to sell the franchise to a group led by Florida Marlins owner John Henry and former San Diego Padres owner Tom Werner.

While the Red Sox did not announce the price, it was disclosed to The Associated Press by Thomas Dibenedetto, a current minority shareholder. The current record is the $323 million that Larry Dolan paid for the Cleveland Indians last year.

The record for a sports franchise is the $800 million Daniel Snyder paid in 1999 for the Washington Redskins and the team's stadium in Landover, Md.

The deal for the Red Sox includes Fenway Park and 80 percent of the New England Sports Network.

The agreement must be approved by 75 percent of the 30 major league owners, who usually take about six months to consider sales.

Henry is negotiating to sell the Marlins to Jeffrey Loria, the owner of the Montreal Expos, a team baseball commissioner Bud Selig wants to eliminate.

Larry Lucchino, the former president of the Baltimore Orioles and Padres, is likely to become Red Sox team president if the sale is approved.