Alex Rodriguez is doing everything in his power to purchase the New York Mets. He’s even calling for the one thing owners want most, a salary cap.
Alex Rodriguez is pulling out all the stops to get a deal done to purchase the New York Mets. He’s upped his bid to around $2 billion, he’s sold off development rights to Robert Kraft, and now ESPN is reporting that he’s calling for a salary cap, although Rodriguez argues that he is not advocating for this.
Multiple reports have claimed that Steve Cohen faces one major challenge in his pursuit to buy the Mets — the new CBA. Owners reportedly fear that Cohen would spend so much money it would change the landscape of MLB. That would have implications on upcoming CBA discussions, and the owners want no part of that.
They want an ally they can trust to be on their side and create a unified front. Alex Rodriguez is publicly giving them that ally. By publicly stating that he believes players should accept a salary cap, he’s telling owners he’s on their side. It’s a smart political play.
He wants to create a perception that the other owners can trust him. A-Rod wants the other owners to push for the Mets to be sold to him over the higher-priced Cohen deal. If that means helping fuel a CBA fight over a salary cap, then so be it.
Don’t be fooled, Alex Rodriguez would be happy if there was no salary cap. His ownership group, which features two billionaires, along with himself and his wife Jennifer Lopez, is more than capable of spending big market money. However, they know that they have to politic if they want to beat Steve Cohen.
They aren’t going to outspend the hedge fund billionaire. They know that, the Wilpons know that, and MLB knows. So, they have to figure out other ways to stay in the race. First, it was their plan to turn Citi Field into an entertainment destination, now it’s a salary cap.
There’s only one question left, can J-Rod get their bid close enough to Cohen’s for any of this to matter?
