Former commodities trader Ray Bartoszek, who considered investing in the Mets, bought a piece of the Yankees instead, a person familiar with the transaction said today.
Bartoszek, formerly with Glencore International Plc., bought a piece of a minority owner’s share of the 27-time World Series champions, said the person, who was granted anonymity because he isn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Bartoszek had been in talks to buy the minority share of the Yankees for four to five months, said the person, who declined to say how much of the team was involved or how much was paid.
The Yankees are worth $1.7 billion, according to Forbes, which first reported Bartoszek’s investment in the team. The Steinbrenner family controls the majority ownership of the Yankees.
Bartoszek backed out of buying a third of the Mets after the team was unwilling to include of piece of its regional sports network, SportsNet New York, in the transaction.
The Mets announced an agreement with hedge-fund manager David Einhorn, who later said the deal collapsed because Fred Wilpon tried to change terms. Wilpon owns the team with Saul Katz, his brother-in-law.