NEW YORK — Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez’s continued sprint towards Mets ownership was bolstered by a beverage titan with the capital they need to cross home plate.
Queens-native billionaire Mike Repole joined the former Yankees star and his multi-hyphenate fiancee’s efforts to buy the Amazin’s from the Wilpon family, according to The Action Network’s Darren Rovell. The Wilpons have been involved in active sale talks since 2019.
A-Rod and J-Lo are worth roughly $700 million combined, which sounds like a lot until you remember Steve Cohen’s rumored $2.6 billion deal fell short in December. They’re among the highest earners in their respective professions yet aren’t close to the class of one-percenter that typically fronts a business deal — let alone one to get a team — if money is the biggest obstacle towards making a serious play for the Mets bid.
Enter Repole, who was born in Middle Village, graduated from St. John’s University, and is worth nearly a billion dollars. He co-founded Glaceau, which sold the popular sports drink Vitaminwater to the Coco-Cola company for $4.1 billion back in 2007.
Besides growing up a stone’s throw from Shea Stadium, Repole’s Mets ties include his relationship with David Wright, who was an early investor in the company. The former Mets captain also served as a spokesperson, starring in a memorable TV spot with throwback “Jersey Shore” breakout star Michael “The Situation” Sorrentino.
Rodriguez doesn’t have the same Queens-centric ties as his rumored partner, but he was born in New York and grew up a Mets fan. A-Rod signaled his interest in owning his boyhood team during a March appearance on “The Tonight Show” — he told Jimmy Fallon that the Mets’ 1986 championship season was tied with his 2009 title run with the Yankees as one of the best years of his life, “with the exception of my daughters’ birth.”
Meanwhile, the Wilpons continue to indicate their interest in selling at least part of their Mets business.
“The team will have some kind of transaction,” said COO Jeff Wilpon during a June 12 United Jewish Appeal — Federation of New York panel discussion. “I can’t tell you exactly what it’s going to be and how it’s going to look, but we’re working towards a transaction.”
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