NY Mets Ownership Candidates: Who will buy the Amazins?

A-Rod, J-Lo, and Company

Alex Rodriguez’s buying group includes several athletes, featuring both current and former NFL Stars Travis Kelce, DeMarco Murray, and Brian Urlacher, along with NBA All-Star Bradley Beal.

So it seems that the front office’s current philosophy could remain intact with this crowd of investors. The team’s current Executive VP & GM, Brodie Van Wagenen has said on multiple occasions that under his leadership, the front office would transition the franchise into a Player’s First Organization.

In fact, his exact words during his introductory press conference from two seasons ago were, “Part of the progressive ideas I have. The GM needs to be visible and needs to have a personal relationship with the players on the team. Obviously I have that with some of them and I look forward to building that with others.”

Therefore, the organization – whether they keep BVW on or not – has already been primed to receive owners with this mentality right away.

In fact, I think one of A-Rod’s potential strengths would be how involved he is in the front office, such as putting together a team of experienced baseball executives much like the front office currently is structured.

The hiring of Allard Baird as VP, Assistant GM, and Scouting & Player Development signaled the start of their investments into the analytics department with new technology and the supplemental hiring of analytics expert Adam Guttridge as assistant GM, for example.

For Rodriguez, it might make sense to keep things running as they are for the most part in the short term as he is evidently of the mindset of a player-first organization.

Plus, conducting a GM search while overhauling the front office in the middle of the Winter Meetings (the time in which a deal is expected to be finalized) would not be conducive to success in 2021.

The Mets could use some additional star power to go along with their young and dynamic pool of current and future MLB stars. And of course, A-Rod would have the added incentive to become a perennial NL East winner – not to be outshined by the Derek Jeter-run Miami Marlin front office.