Wilpon updates potential Mets sale: There are '4 or 5 suitors'

New York Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon gave an update Thursday on the status of a potential sale of the team.

Wilpon hinted that the team is a hot commodity with multiple potential buyers in pursuit.

"The team will have some kind of transaction," Wilpon said during a UJA-Federation of New York panel, according to Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report. "I can't tell you exactly what it's going to be and how it's going to look, but we're working toward a transaction and there's four or five suitors that are out there to do something with and a bunch of philanthropic planning and family planning that my dad and my uncle want to do, and it's totally fine. And when we have something to truly announce and tell you about, we'll do that."

The Wilpon family has owned a portion of the Mets since 1980, with Fred Wilpon - Jeff's father - acting as majority owner and CEO since 2002. Forbes recently valued the franchise at $2.8 billion, though Wilpon is reportedly losing as much as $90 million a year on the team.

Potential buyers include Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez. The power couple reportedly retained senior bankers at JP Morgan Chase to prepare a new bid for the franchise.

Joshua Harris and David Blitzer, co-owners of the NHL's New Jersey Devils and NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, are also reportedly interested in the Mets and in early discussions with the Wilpons.

The Wilpons had a deal to sell 80% of the team to billionaire Steve Cohen in February but it fell through at the last moment.