While speaking with Evan Roberts and Joe Beningo of WFAN New York, Jon Heyman of MLB Network shared some insight on the ongoing saga that is the potential sale of the New York Mets.
According to Heyman, a sale of the team could come “fairly quick.” That’s music to Mets’ fans ears, especially.
Per Heyman, billionaire hedge fund manager and current minority shareholder in the Mets Steve Cohen, whose proposed and agreed upon purchase of the team for $2.6 billion fell apart earlier this month will likely not re-enter discussions to buy the club.
Also, former MLB star and current ESPN analyst Alex Rodriguez, who reportedly was exploring the possibility of forming a group of investors to make a bid, and billionaire media mogul Mike Bloomberg, who has been mentioned as a logical fit despite no reports of actual interest, can both be counted out of the running, as well.
Finding another buyer with as deep pockets as Cohen will be no easy task, but with the team’s regional sports network, SNY — an extremely lucrative extension of the franchise — reportedly on the block, interested parties will reveal themselves eventually.
Per Heyman and previous reports, the five-year transition of control stipulation that reportedly led to the deal with Cohen breaking down has been tabled, which could drum up even more interest.
A professional sports franchise in the biggest market in the country shouldn’t be this tough to sell. But with incentives on both sides to make a deal happen (the Wilpons and Katzes make a hefty return on their investments and the new owners have no strings attached to the sale, as well as a profitable sports network, to boot), an expedited process is certainly a possibility.
We’ll keep you posted with more information as it becomes available.
