Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez among the bidders in NY Mets sale auction

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ESPN announcer and former Yankee Alex Rodriguez and actress Jennifer Lopez are among the bidders angling for the New York Mets, according to reports.

Rodriquez and Lopez have put together a financial consortium to make a bid on the National League Team, which is being sold by the Wilpon family. The bankers handling the sale set a Thursday deadline for interested parties to submit a bid, and reports indicated the Lopez/Rodriguez team were among those who got one in.

Lopez and Rodriguez were both born in New York City, adding to their appeal as baseball owners.

The New York Post reports Lopez/Rodriguez offered $1.7 billion. The owners of the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, Josh Harris and David Blitzer, also submitted a bid.

Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen, who made a $2.6 billion bid earlier this year but backed out over control issues, reportedly also submitted another offer.

The opening round offers will now be evaluated by the Wilpons, who reportedly hope to close a deal by the fall and gain Major League Baseball approval for the new owners before the end of the year.