Is the Wilpons' sale of New York Mets majority ownership to billionaire Steve Cohen in jeopardy?
The Wilpons released a statement Tuesday in response to rumors that the sale is in trouble, essentially saying the conditions of the negotiations prohibit them from commenting.
"The parties are subject to confidentiality obligations, including a mutual non-disclosure agreement, and therefore cannot comment," the statement read.
The Mets released a statement in December saying that Sterling Partners, the holding company of which Fred Wilpon is the founder, was in negotiations to give Cohen an increased share of the team, essentially making Cohen the majority owner.
Cohen was reportedly negotiating to own up to 80% of the Mets. Still, one part stood out.
In the initial statement in December, the parties announced that, if a sale were completed, Fred and Jeff Wilpon would still hold their titles for five years. At the time, many believed that would not mean much because whoever is funding the operation should theoretically have the final say.
But it remained something to consider. Nonetheless, an overwhelming majority of fans appeared to be happy about the sale. For years, the Mets have been branded as the big-market team that often does not act like one.
It is probably unwise to read into the aforementioned statement one way or another. Obviously, the Sterling Partners are doing their best to prevent a leak.
At the Winter Meetings in December, then-manager Carlos Beltran did not comment when asked about the ownership sale. Last month, when asked if Cohen had any say in hiring Luis Rojas, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen said it was "business as usual" for he and Jeff Wilpon.
Over the last couple months, many have wondered when the sale would be complete. Or, contextually: When would Cohen's money begin to benefit the team?
At this point, it's still not known.
