Yahoo Sports Report: Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez working on new Mets bid with possible help from NFL owner
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez aren’t giving up on their pursuit of the New York Mets.
According to Thorton McEnery of the New York Post, the celebrity couple is working closely with senior bankers at JPMorgan Chase to put together a new bid to buy the franchise from the Wilpon family.
It’s reported that Rodriguez and Lopez are willing to put in “hundreds of millions” of their own money to get the deal done, and they’re also engaging in conversation with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft about becoming a potential investor.
While no specific names have emerged regarding who will be staking J-Rod’s latest Mets bid, Chase Private Banking boasts a deep roster of billionaires with whom the bank can play matchmaker. Three people close to the situation confirm that the bank has made real progress for its clients.
“The money is there,” one said. “A bid is coming.”
Two clients whom Rodriguez and Lopez have apparently been speaking to are Patriots owners Bob and Jonathan Kraft.
The report notes that the Kraft family is not necessarily interested in buying a baseball team. However, they are “intrigued” by J-Rod’s plans for the Mets and hopes to transform Citi Field and the surrounding area into an entertainment venue.
In terms of Citi Field itself, the early plans include adding some seats closer to the field. J-Rod would reportedly also want to create a field-level box area for celebrity Mets fans like Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Matthew Broderick in the mold of the Knicks’ “Celebrity Row.”
“With their connections, Willets could become a Wrigleyville in Queens,” one person with knowledge of J-Rod’s thinking said.
Second attempt to buy Mets
Rodriguez and Lopez previously tried putting a bid together with billionaire Wayne Rothbaum. The proposed partnership was short-lived, however, as Rothbaum was only interested in buying the Mets at a discounted price. Rodriguez and Lopez have reportedly spent the last few weeks formulating a new bid and a more advanced long-term plan.
According to the Post report, the timing might be better this time around. The Wilpon family has grown more eager to sell the franchise due to the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their increased willingness to include part of SNY, the Mets’ television network, in a new deal is cited as evidence that the Wilpons are ready to move on.
In February, the Wilpons had agreed to a $2.6 billion deal with minority owner Steve Cohen. The deal ultimately fell through in part due to the family’s hesitation to give up any stake in SNY.
The new bid is viewed as feasible and the potential of J. Lo being an owner is seen as intriguing, according to one of the Post’s MLB sources. However, as we’ve learned with previous attempts to buy the Mets, nothing is set in stone until the transaction is completed.
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