Report: Alex Rodriguez, Steve Cohen and Josh Harris Advance to Second Round of Mets Sale

Former Yankee Alex Rodriguez, billionaire Steve Cohen, 76ers owner Josh Harris and a fourth unidentified party have advanced to the second round of bidding for the Mets, according to Sportico.

The investment bank Allen & Co., which is overseeing the sale, informed the groups of their advancement, reports Sportico. They were also told not to submit offers on SNY, the Mets' television network, which was previously reported as part of the sale.

Cohen reportedly put in a $2 billion bid in the opening round, while ESPN reported Monday that Rodriguez, his fiancee Jennifer Lopez and their group of investors placed a nearly $1.7 billion bid. The couple's investment group received a boost of NFL talent when they recently added Brian Urlacher, Travis Kelce and DeMarco Murray.

Harris placed his bid along with Blackstone executive David Blitzer, whom he co-owns the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils with.

The Mets announced in December 2019 that owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon were looking to sell a majority of the team, which they have controlled since 2002. At the time, the Wilpons were in negotiations to sell up to 80% of the team to Cohen. However, the deal fell through in February when Cohen wanted immediate control of the franchise, while the Wilpon family wanted to remain with the Mets for five years.

According to Forbes' most recent MLB valuations, the Mets are the sixth highest-valued franchise in MLB at $2.4 billion, up 4% from 2019. New York has reached the playoffs three times–including an appearance in the 2015 World Series–since Fred Wilpon assumed control of the team from Nelson Doubleday in 2002.