Mets owner Katz denies he wants to sell shares

NEW YORK -- Mets president and majority owner Saul B. Katz denied a story in The New York Times that he would like to sell his shares in the team, according to a statement released by the club.

"There is no truth to the reports of any intention of selling my share of the Mets nor have I ever had any intention of selling my share," Katz said.

According to the story, if Katz were to sell his share of the team to someone other than Fred Wilpon, it would call into question whether the chairman of the board and chief executive would retain a large enough percentage of the stock to "maintain his role as the club's ultimate decision-maker."

Katz has focused on overseeing the Mets' finances.

The story noted that there is no evidence that Katz has begun a search.

"Several bankers involved with deals involving sports organizations said they had not been asked to help appraise Katz's stake in the team, the first step toward brokering a sale," the paper reported.

The story further pointed out that it would likely be difficult to find an investor willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars for an ownership stake in the club without having a major influence over how the team is run.