Report: A-Rod's connection to ex-Astros GM Luhnow helped kill Mets bid

Alex Rodriguez's now-dead bid to buy the New York Mets appears to have been spoiled in part by his connections to a reviled baseball figure.

The former superstar infielder angered MLB owners and commissioner Rob Manfred by consulting with former Houston Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow - who is currently serving a one-year suspension for his role the Astros' sign-stealing scandal - during the bidding process, a source told Deesha Thosar and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.

A-Rod's relationship with Luhnow was first reported by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal earlier this week. Their discussions involved Luhnow's relationship with the management consulting firm McKinsey, his former employers; McKinsey was working with Rodriguez's prospective ownership group.

Rodriguez wasn't planning to hire Luhnow as a GM had he won the Mets bid, sources told Rosenthal. However, the mere fact that they were in contact was the final nail in the coffin for Rodriguez's group, Thosar and Madden reported.

Luhnow served as the Astros' GM from 2011 until this past January and was the architect of their historic rebuild and 2017 World Series championship. The Astros fired Luhnow on the same day MLB suspended him for his role in the sign-stealing scandal. He later denied having any involvement or knowledge of the team's sign-stealing.

Billionaire Steve Cohen, who currently owns a minority stake in the Mets, has reportedly entered into exclusive negotiations to purchase a controlling interest in the team from the Wilpon family. Cohen's likely to pay around $2.5 billion for the team, according to Thosar and Madden.

Cohen needs approval from 23 of the 30 MLB owners before a sale can be finalized.