Report: Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez Group Seen as Favorites to Buy Mets

The ownership group headlined by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez is reportedly being viewed as the favorites to purchase the New York Mets from the Wilpon family, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. 

Per that report, "There's an Aug. 31 deadline to provide the best and final bids, according to Sportico."

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported July 20 that Rodriguez and Lopez were prepared to put in "between $225 million and $300 million" of their own money in the offer, more than any other bidders in their ownership group. Rosenthal also reported that Rodriguez would serve as the organization's "control person," replacing Fred Wilpon. 

"He does love the game of baseball and cares about it. There are a lot of owners he would be better than right now," a front-office executive told Rosenthal. "He'd have his strengths. He'd have his weaknesses. Would he be the best? Probably not. Would he be the worst? Hell no. I wouldn't say he doesn’t belong, despite some of the stuff that has gone on. He's just as deserving as anybody else."

Other partners in the ownership group include businessman Mike Repole and Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola. A number of current and former professional athletes, including Travis Kelce, Brian Urlacher, DeMarco Murray, Joe Thomas, Bradley Beal and Mason Plumlee, are also reportedly investors, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN. 

"Being a former athlete and having a chance to be a part of a group trying to purchase a professional team, it's pretty cool," Urlacher said in July. "It's especially cool to be involved with Alex. Alex is the man. You've got Kelce, Thomas, Murray. It's great to be in a group with them."

They'll be competing with Steve Cohen—who currently owns eight percent of the Mets and saw a previous agreement to purchase the team fall apart—and Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer.