It is not often that one of the 30 MLB teams comes up for sale, as there aren’t many seats at the exclusive table of MLB ownership. Despite the uncertain future of Major League Baseball, amid the pandemic, it looks like there is still plenty of interest in the New York Mets for the Wilpons to receive a competitive offer for their franchise.
Yesterday it was reported that July 9th was set as the deadline for interested parties to make their bid on buying the team, with some of the same front-runners being mentioned as potential buyers. Between Alex Rodriguez, the Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment group, Steve Cohen and the Reuben brothers, the list of suitors has been clear for weeks now.
Yet another investment group has come to the surface, as the New York Post reports that LA real state developer Kurt Rappaport is on the bidding as well.
The 49-year-old’s group is said to have had direct contact with Allen and Co. (the Wilpons bankers) and is working on putting together a competitive bid. Rappaport is known for his real estate dealings in Hollywood and is a baseball fan that won the Dave Winfield humanitarian award at a Major League Baseball event in 2018.
Rappaport is said to have cut deals for the mansions of celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Ryan Seacrest, while also selling his own house to Tom Cruise and Kate Hudson back in 2008 for $32.5 million.
While his net worth is estimated to be just $350 million, his connections in Hollywood could be used to form a compelling investment group.
If Rappaport truly is heavily involved in talks, the Mets would seem to have at least three active bidders, with Rodriguez and Blitzer seeming to be putting together their bids. The Reuben brothers and Cohen each have interest, but reports say there is hesitance from both parties.
It will be interesting to see how high the offers for the team come in, when the deadline to submit bids comes next week.
