Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez Reportedly Take Another Financial Step Towards Making Bid for Mets Ownership

Alex Rodriguez nearly signed with the New York Mets in 2000, and his connection with the franchise in Queens has gone beyond his playing days.

A-Rod and his fiancé, Jennifer Lopez, are reportedly in the process of raising money and assets to make a bid to the Wilpons in hopes of buying the franchise. The power couple would have large financial backers, of course, in similar fashion to former Yankees' teammate Derek Jeter's partial stake in the Miami Marlins.

The couple has a combined valuation of $700 million, while the Mets are expected to cost around $2.6 billion in total. A sale of the New York franchise nearly went through just months ago to Steve Cohen, but the deal fell through at the last minute as the Wilpons were not thrilled with the supposed strings attached.

Any sale to Rodriguez, Lopez and their associates would forgo such contractual language, we assume.

Mets fans have long been in search of new ownership, ideally with financial backers who are not afraid to spend money on big-name free agents.

While it's unlikely the Mets ever match the spending of their New York neighbor, the number of parties interested in the club has to be an encouraging development.