Alex Rodriguez made a serious effort to purchase the New York Mets, but his bid appears to have fallen short.
The Mets entered into an exclusive negotiating window with hedge fund manager Steve Cohen on Friday, and a deal is considered likely. That leaves the Rodriguez group, which also includes Jennifer Lopez, as the apparent runners-up.
While Rodriguez was viewed as a serious bidder, there are clear reasons that he wasn’t the favorite in MLB circles. One of those reasons was money. The Rodriguez group didn’t have as much cash access as Cohen, and this was a clear concern for MLB. Some in the league feared that the Mets might be put into a similar situation as the Miami Marlins after Derek Jeter’s group purchased them.
There were other reasons beyond the money, though. A lot of it has to do with Rodriguez’s history with the league. Rodriguez is viewed as having a history of working with shady characters, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, and that worked against him. His decision to consult former Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow, currently suspended for his role in the sign-stealing scandal, set off some alarm bells. In addition, there was some frustration that rumors about Rodriguez being the frontrunner for the Mets leaked to the press.
Hear that even if A-Rod had the money solid (belief is he did not and could not compete with cash deal) there were worries over his penchant for consorting with unsavory characters from his involvement with trying to sue MLB after his PED ban and other associations.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 29, 2020
The money is the big factor of course but some weren’t impressed A-Rod was reportedly consulting with Jeff Luhnow; Luhnow’s a smart exec but like A-Rod received 1-year ban linked to scandal. Also not a plus: an A-Rod ally incorrectly leaked that he was the frontrunner for Mets.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 29, 2020
There was talk that the Wilpon family actually preferred to accept Rodriguez’s bid. Ultimately, it sounds like there were too many hurdles and questions for that to happen.
