Travis Kelce is trying to buy the New York Mets. DeMarco Murray and Brian Urlacher are also part of the ownership bid.
Travis Kelce could soon be part-owner of the New York Mets.
Kelce is part of a group of investors led by Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez who put in an initial bid to buy the New York Mets for $1.7 billion.
There are more than a few current and former athletes who are part of the bid, including Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, former running back DeMarco Murray, former Cleveland Browns’ linebacker Joe Thomas, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, and Mason Plumlee of the Denver Nuggets.
According to the New York Post, billionaire Steve Cohen has made the top bid so far at $2 billion. But Mets COO Jeff Wilpon said he would prefer to sell the team to the group led by Rodriguez and Lopez, if they have the highest bid.
This is a crazy opportunity,” Kelce said. “I had a chance to meet Alex Rodriguez a couple years ago and just told him how much of a fan I was as a kid of him. I’m very thankful for the success that I’ve had in the NFL, to have an opportunity like this come across the table. I couldn’t think of a more unique set of people to be in charge of this.”
Selling the New York Mets: Who else is interested?
The Mets announced in Dec. 2019 that owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon were looking to sell a majority of the team, which they’ve controlled since 2002. The Mets are the sixth-highest valued franchise in MLB at $2.4 billion.
Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer have also reportedly put in a bid for the franchise.
The Wilpons were in negotiations to sell 80 percent of the team to Cohen earlier this year, but the deal fell through when Cohen said he wanted immediate control of the franchise. The Wilpon family said they would like to remain with the Mets for the next five years.
With so many superstars in their lineup, the Rodriguez-Lopez group will likely be the fan favorite to take over the club.
“Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez are a star-studded couple that have gotten to where they are because they work their tails off. And they’re good human beings,” Kelce said. “I thank them for letting me be a part of this.”