After nearly a year of twists and drama, the New York Mets’ sale and thus, the Wilpon era, is coming to an end.
Scott Soshnick of Sportico is reporting that final bids for the New York Mets are due Aug. 31. The final bidders are wall street billionaire Steve Cohen, Sports owner Joshua Harris, and MLB legend Alex Rodriguez.
This has been a long and arduous process. Fans and the media first learned of the team’s sale in December of 2019. Cohen was set to purchase the Mets for $2.6 billion, but things fell apart. In February of 2020 Cohen reportedly backed out of the deal due to the Wilpon’s five-year window of control.
Since then it’s been a free-for-all. A ton of names have been rumored to be involved from British real estate moguls the Reuben Brothers to young millionaire C.K. McWhorter. However, there’s always been a clear-cut top of the pack.
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez have been involved in the process from the beginning. They are the least likely new owners due to their lack of finances. They also have the largest ownership group, which also features billionaires Mike Repole and Vincent Viola.
The real battle seems to be between Steve Cohen and the partnership of Joshua Harris and David Blitzer. Harris and Blitzer already own the Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Devils, and Crystal Palace. They’re also minority owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have ambitions of owning a team in every major professional league.
However, they’re known bargain hunters and the Mets may not come at a bargain price. They’ve reportedly set a $2 billion limit on their bid, equal to Cohen’s starting bid.
Lastly, there’s Cohen. Steve Cohen is a lifelong Mets fan and the favorite to purchase the team. The billionaire has the most money to spend and the greatest love for the team. For months there have been reports that he wouldn’t be outbid. If that’s true, then the team is his to lose.
