Wilpons May Sell Mets Minority Stake; Martin Luther King III Interested In Buying

King has aligned with a few names familiar to longtime Mets fans, such as former player Ed Kranepool and Donn Clendenon’s son, along with some big-money types.

King would become Major League Baseball’s first African-American owner. The group claims $1 billion in assets, though there’s no telling how much they’d be willing to commit to this venture.

There’s no guarantee that the Mets will actually add one or multiple partners - that’s currently just an option. And the Wilpons go on to assure that Sterling will remain the primary owner of the team. During a Friday conference call, Fred Wilpon said the Mets would sell a 20-25% stake in the event of a transaction.

Of course, the Wilpons’ assertion that Sterling will remain in control is far from a certainty. That’s their plan, but it’s an open question as to whether anyone would agree to invest under their terms. Someone may come in and blow the Mets away with a bigger offer for a much bigger stake. But that’s speculation. Where we stand now is that the Mets are “exploring” the idea of selling a small chunk to ensure that the team can continue operating at a high payroll.