NEW YORK _ The list of potential Mets bidders continues to swell beyond Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez' growing team, with a new set of billionaires looking to join the fray.
Brothers David and Simon Reuben are reportedly exploring a bid for the team, according to a Variety report. The tycoons are worth a combined $14 billion.
The Reuben brothers are said to view the sparse Willets Point region of Flushing surrounding Citi Field as a development opportunity and benefit of owning the ballclub. Back in April, Bloomberg reported the Reuben brothers' purchase of a retail condominium around Rockefeller Center in Manhattan as a step towards growing their enterprise in New York.
As is often said _ we've been here before. Between Devils and 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, A-Rod and J-Lo (bolstered by Vitaminwater founder Mike Repole), and Steve Cohen _ who tried to jump from minority owner to an 80% share in 2019 _ the Wilpons have had plenty of suitors but zero buyers. One potential hang-up is their apparent reluctance to sell their lucrative SNY cable business. Their regional cable network airs most Mets games.
And bidding with the Wilpons, who have had a majority stake in the team since 2002, has long been a tricky endeavor. Hedge fund investor David Einhorn was negotiating a non-controlling stake in 2011, which broke down over a reported option of lengthening Einhorn's process of acquiring a majority share from three to five years of the initial purchase.
Cohen pulled out when the Wilpons wanted day-to-day control of the team for longer than the five years they had initially agreed upon _ effectively requesting his money without conceding their power. Back in February, Cohen told reporters he was still seeking a higher interest in the team.
Earlier in June, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon confirmed during a panel discussion that "the team will have some kind of transaction," but added, "I can't tell you exactly what it's going to be and how it's going to look."
