Brett’s Dust Devils purchase nears completion

The sale of the Tri-City Dust Devils baseball team to an ownership group comprised of the Brett family is moving ahead despite a few snags.

Brett Sports and Entertainment vice president and co-owner Andy Billig, speaking at a press conference Wednesday in Pasco, said the sale has been delayed but should be finalized soon.

At issue is paperwork related to the payment of bills owed by the current owner, Portland Family Entertainment.

“We made it clear, very early in this process, that a non-negotiable condition to our purchase of the team was that everyone who is owed money by the team needs to be paid,” Billig said.

The Tri-City Herald reported in mid-March that the Brett group had purchased the Dust Devils for approximately $2 million. Billig responded to the report by saying the transaction hadn’t been completed.

Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball have approved the sale.

Brett Sports and Entertainment has agreed to a five-year lease agreement with the City of Pasco, including $48,000 in improvements to Dust Devils Stadium.

“Our commitment to the Dust Devils baseball club and the Tri-Cities is a serious one,” Billig said. “We’re dedicated to investing the time, effort, resources and passion to make this an organization in which the Tri-Cities can be proud.”

Tri-City plays in the short-season Class A Northwest League.