Report: David, Simon Reuben Exploring Bid for Mets Amid Alex Rodriguez Buzz
June 23, 2020
The potential bidders appear to be lining up for an opportunity to purchase the New York Mets.
Per Variety's Scott Soshnick, billionaire brothers David and Simon Reuben are "exploring" putting a bid in on the Mets.
The Reuben brothers' potential interest comes after Darren Rovell of The Action Network reported Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez have added Mike Repole to their partnership group looking into buying the franchise.
The Wilpon family, who have had full ownership of the Mets since 2002, agreed in December to sell the team to minority owner Steve Cohen in a process that would take five years.
Cohen, who purchased a minority stake in the Mets in 2012, announced in February that the agreement fell through: "I'm very disappointed we couldn't work out a deal. But as an 8% holder I'm looking forward to a higher bid for the team."
New York's ownership said in a statement that it still intended to sell the organization.
One anonymous person told Soshnick that David and Simon Reuben "are likely drawn" to buying the Mets "because of the real estate development possibilities around Citi Field."
The brothers are renowned real-estate moguls in England and were named the country's second-richest family in 2019 by the Times with an estimated net worth of £18.664 billion (approx. $23.39 billion).
According to Forbes, the Mets rank sixth in Major League Baseball with a $2.4 billion valuation. Their operating income of $7 million in 2019 ranked 29th out of 30 teams, ahead of only the Miami Marlins (-$5.9 million).