Report: Alex Rodriguez’s group still in running to buy Mets

There has been a lot of talk about Alex Rodriguez and his bidding group for the New York Mets potentially being overpowered by their billionaire competitors, but apparently A-Rod and his fiancee Jennifer Lopez are still very much in the running to buy the franchise.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported on Monday that the bidding for the Mets still involves at least three groups, and the one led by Rodriguez and Lopez is one of them.

Any implication that the A-Rod/J-Lo group is out of the running for the Mets is incorrect. Steve Cohen and the Harris-Blitzer team would appear to have the most $, perhaps making them the favorites, as @CGasparino pointed out. But it remains (at least) a 3-horse race.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 20, 2020

A-Rod and J-Lo have some steep competition. Billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, who had a deal in place with Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon that fell apart back in February, is still considered by many to be the favorite. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, the firm that owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils, is also a finalist. However, Rodriguez and Lopez have plenty of backers with deep pockets.

Cohen has reportedly bid $2 billion for the Mets and another $2 billion for their TV network, SNY. A-Rod and J-Lo have put together a diverse group that features a number of current and former star athletes, but they may have trouble raising the cash that their competitors can more easily pull together.