New York Mets: A-Rod, J-Lo closer to buying team

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez recently made their bid for the New York Mets interesting.

In their second attempt to form a group to make a legitimate run at the New York Mets, Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez may have recently struck gold. According to Darren Rovell of the Action Network, the power-couple have recruited Queens native and billionaire Mike Repole, co-chairman of BodyArmor Superdrink and founder of VitaminWater as a general partner.

This comes on the heels of a failed first attempt by the couple to buy the Mets. At the time, A-Rod and J-Lo had partnered with Long Island billionaire Wayne Rothbaum, who was seeking to acquire the Mets at a “fire sale” price only.

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Unfortunately, the Wilpons refused to include SportsNet New York (SNY) in that deal, causing J-Rod to end their bid. SNY is the Mets’ equivalent of the YES Network for the New York Yankees, a regional sports network that holds most of the Amazin’s regular-season games.

Repole, according to Rovell, is a lifelong Mets fan and a successful horse owner. In 2011, he considered becoming a minority owner, but opted out, saying instead, “if the Wilpons ever decided to sell the Mets 100%, I would be interested in becoming a managing partner and possibly making a run to buy them.”

In this partnership, Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez have a motivated partner with a strong rooting interest in the team. As for Rodriguez, he too grew up a Mets fan. In a Sports Illustrated piece from 2018, Rodriguez went as far as to say that he regretted not signing with the New York Mets in 2001.

Had A-Rod chosen Queens over Texas back then, he would have been Derek Jeter‘s crosstown rival. Now, if a deal for the Mets is ever struck, he’d be Jeter’s — CEO and part-owner of the Miami Marlins — divisional rival.