Steve Cohen’s bid to purchase the Mets will be go to a vote possibly as early as next Wednesday, according to SNY’s Andy Martino, and even though Alex Rodriguez’s bid to buy the team did not come to fruition, the former All-Star is not saying no to still potentially owning an MLB team at some point.
Speaking during a Q&A at the Long Island Association’s Virtual Fall Luncheon, Rodriguez provided some insight into his bid to buy the team and explained what could have been if he and his wife Jennifer Lopez had bought the team.
"The Mets were a team I grew up watching," Rodriguez said. "I thought that the Mets did — and do — have an opportunity to be one of the great franchises around the world, with an incredible fan base, and we were really excited to take payroll from like $150 [million] to $225 [million] and bring a championship back to the city of New York.
"I wasn’t looking to acquire a team, [but] when the Mets became available, we became interested. Jennifer thought this would be great as well. I enjoyed the experience, so never say never.”
Cohen, of course, needs approval from 23 of the 30 MLB teams, and as Martino has noted throughout the process, that approval is ultimately expected. Rodriguez has said previously that he would match Cohen’s bid without a negotiation should Cohen not be approved by the other MLB owners, though that scenario seems unlikely to come about.
A New York native, Rodriguez had high hopes for potentially owning the Mets. The 14-time All-Star played 12 seasons in New York, slugging 351 home runs and helping the Yankees capture the 2009 World Series.
So when the opportunity to buy the Mets became an option, Rodriguez jumped at it, and even though his bid was not the one that was accepted, the former Yankees third baseman was proud to be able to bid on his hometown team.
"New York was special because it's New York," Rodriguez said Thursday.
“What I learned is that these national treasures (meaning professional sports teams) are coveted very badly."