Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez aren’t giving up on buying the New York Mets.
The celebrity couple’s group previously stated they were out of the running shortly after billionaire Steve Cohen reportedly entered exclusive negotiations with the Wilpon family. But Lopez and A-Rod told Joel Sherman of the New York Post on Tuesday that’s not the case.
https://t.co/kHRbITmvar J-Lo and A-Rod exclusively tell The Post that it is the 9th inning, but they haven’t given up on the idea of owning the #Mets because they still believe they have the best bid and the most to give the franchise and the fans.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) September 8, 2020
The couple said their group’s bid was either close to or better than Cohen’s $2.35 billion offer. Lopez added that if she and A-Rod were to gain control of the Mets, they’ll raise the team’s payroll up to around $225 million, and donate $100 million to New York-area charities if the club doesn’t win a World Series within a decade of them assuming ownership.
As part of a last-ditch effort, their bid has been restructured so that Lopez – and not Rodriguez – would be the Mets’ control person. Should that happen, Lopez would become the first Latina woman to control an MLB franchise.
The group’s pivot to Lopez as the control person might pacify some of MLB’s concerns about Rodriguez’s involvement. The three-time American League MVP reportedly consulted with former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow, who’s suspended for his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal. That angered some in the league offices.
Rodriguez – who served a 162-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs late in his playing career – is also said to believe the sale was rigged against him, and in Cohen’s favor.
The sale to Cohen has yet to be completed, largely because of language issues in the agreement for tax purposes, sources told Sherman. However, problems with the 64-year-old’s company (Cohen’s business was recently fined for insider trading, and it’s involved in a sexual discrimination lawsuit) lead to uncertainty about whether he’ll be able to get the 23 votes from other owners needed to finalize the purchase, Sherman reports.
Cohen, a hedge fund manager who’s worth $14.3 billion, is currently a Mets minority owner.
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