Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez Withdraw Bid to Buy the Mets

Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez previously expressed the intention to purchase the New York Mets. They wanted to become the first minority couple to purchase the baseball team, but this will not happen. The power couple will now no longer pursue the acquisition of the team.

Lopez confirmed that they have withdrawn their bid with a statement on Instagram. She explained that their group had submitted a fully-funded offer for the Mets and that it was a “record price.” However, they would not be part of the revitalization of New York City. “Alex and I are so disappointed!! We worked so hard the past 6 months with the dream of becoming the first minority couple and the first woman owner to buy her father’s favorite Major League Baseball team with her own hard-earned money. We still haven’t given up!! [New York Forever]” Lopez wrote on Instagram.

The confirmation from Lopez follows previous reports by the New York Post that the couple withdrew their bid. At the time, however, it was reported that they ended the bid after “negotiations with potential partners failed to materialize.” Additionally, the Wilpon family — owners of the Mets — reportedly did not want to part ways with SportsNet New York (SNY).

Lopez and Rodriguez had a potential partner in Long Island biotech billionaire Wayne Rothbaum, but this relationship reportedly “soured quickly.” There were two reasons for the change, including that Rothbaum wanted to purchase the Mets at a discounted price. He also reportedly wanted more control of the team than the couple was comfortable with.

One interesting twist with the now-defunct bid is that Lopez and Rodriguez did not want to run the business side of the New York Mets. They reportedly planned on passing that side off to someone with considerable experience. Instead, they would focus on working with the players.

While the Yankees — the team for which Rodriguez spent part of his career — have found considerable success, the Mets have struggled more regularly. The team has won two World Series in its history and last appeared in the last World Series in 2015. However, the Mets lost to the Kansas City Royals. The Mets finished the 2019 season with an 86-76 record and ultimately fired manager Mickey Callaway. The team later hired Carlos Beltran last year but parted ways with him due to his role in the Houston Astros cheating scandal.