Report: A-Rod Emerges as Potential Suitor to Buy Mets
Alex Rodriguez has emerged as a potential buyer for the New York Mets, according to the New York Post's Thornton McEnery. The former Yankees star is reportedly "kicking the tires" on the idea of bidding on an upcoming auction for the Mets.
"He’s a businessman and a baseball man based in New York,” one "A-Rod ally" told The Post. “Why wouldn’t he be looking at this?”
"[Rodriguez] genuinely loves the Mets,” another source familiar with Rodriguez told the paper. “He and J.Lo have talked about him buying a team ever since Jeter got the Marlins.”
News of Rodriguez's interest comes less than two weeks after a deal for current New York minority owner, billionaire Steve Cohen, to purchase a majority stake in the team fell through.
"I'm very disappointed we couldn't work out a deal, but as an 8% hold I'm looking forward to a higher bid for the team," Cohen said in a statement. "I want to thank the fans for their support and the respect they showed me and I want to thank Commissioner Manfred and MLB for their support through the process."
Last month, it was announced that Fred and Jeff Wilpon were looking to sell a majority of the team, which they have controlled since 2002, through holding company Sterling Partners. Bloomberg reported that Cohen was looking to acquire up to 80% of the team.
The Post notes that the Mets are thought to be alerting potential buyers of their demands in an auction sale, which could be around $3 billion.