Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez' Mets bid's richest backers -- BodyArmor co-Founder & Chair Mike Repole ($3B) and NHL Panthers Owner Vinnie Viola ($5B) -- are "willing to put up more money" so the group can "raise its offer and possibly win," according to a source cited by Kosman & McEnery of the N.Y. POST. The source said that Repole and Viola have "only invested approximately $300 million combined so far, and if they put up much more money one of them may want to be leading the investment group instead of taking a backseat to A-Rod." In that scenario, Rodriguez "would likely be CEO but not the controlling Mets owner." The Mets by the end of this month will "start management meetings with the four remaining bidding groups in which the organization will give detailed financials." But sources said that no party, including the "favorite," hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen, "appears ready to offer enough to end the Mets sales process at this point." Kosman & McEnery note that also "means there will be another round of bidding to see who might offer" more than $2B. Rodriguez and Lopez presently have $225-300M "committed to the bid," which is "in the same range as what Viola and Repole have committed." However, sources said that Rodriguez and Lopez are "likely tapped out" (N.Y. POST, 7/22).
