Robinson Cano Gets New Agent

[Rudi]

Roc Nation, an entertainment company founded by Shawn Carter, also known as Jay-Z, will announce on Tuesday that it is getting into the sports representation business through a partnership with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

The company, which will be known as Roc Nation Sports, has signed its first client, the New York Yankees' Robinson Cano. Cano, who has left agent Scott Boras, is in the final year of a six-year, $57 million deal with the team.

"At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors on and off the field," Cano said, in a statement. "I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates."

It remains to be seen whether this alters the trajectory of Cano's talks with the Yankees, who have been trying to sign the star second baseman.

The Yankees made an offer to Cano earlier this winter, in dealing with Boras, but hadn't gained any traction in their talks, and when Boras clients get this close to free agency, they typically play out their contracts and test the market.

It's not as if the team negotiating for Cano is inexperienced, like the much hyped partnership between Ricky Williams and rapper Master P's No Limit Sports, which resulted in one of the worst contracts in history. Cano will be represented by CAA Sports baseball group, which says it has negotiated $1.1 billion worth of deals, including four contracts that exceeded $100 million, in the last two years alone.

Sources say Jay-Z himself is planning to be a certified agent, first in baseball and eventually in basketball and football. In order to represent clients in basketball, he would have to give up his small share of the Brooklyn Nets.

Jay-Z has always had a love for sports, but his passion grew through the Nets ownership and his 40/40 high-end sports bar in New York, which over the last nine years has become a hang out for athletes.

The initial launch is with CAA, but Roc Nation Sports will be its own company. Roc Nation currently represents Rihanna, Shakira and Timbaland, among others.

SOURCE: ESPN

 

[EmpireWF]

Right away, the sense is this is great news for the Yankees.

Joel Sherman says (via a friend of Cano's), he wants to be a star off the field so signing with CAA who has a link with Jay-Z is a path to making that happen.

 

[Woy]

 

[MvP]

This should be fun.

"Sean, this is Ned from the Dodgers. We want to offer Cano an 8 year/200mil deal."

"NAWHH!"

 

[Villain]

This should be fun.

"Sean, this is Ned from the Dodgers. We want to offer Cano an 8 year/200mil deal."

"NAWHH!"

"Let's talk."

 

 

[Woy]

So is Jay-Z now a businessman and a business, man?

 

[NAHSTE]

LOL at the Dodgers ... All this money and nobody to spend it on.

 

[Villain]

LOL at the Dodgers ... All this money and nobody to spend it on.

If you've heard any interviews with Kasten since the payroll questions have been asked, he's been open to explaining that the Dodgers' new priorities are:

1. Improve fan experience (spent +100M on Stadium upgrades, say they aren't close to finished with it yet. New TV network)
2. Always be contending - Added a gazillion dollars worth of players
3. Strengthen international presence - Puig, Ryu, #others (Heyman reference.... but yea there have been like 20+ less ink-worthy international signings)
4. Improve minor league system. (Decent draft last year, again with the international guys)

They want to build lasting success through minor league players, but the Dodgers don't have those guys yet. They aren't going to wait around for Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, and Zach Lee to hopefully be stars someday. That's why they spent so much to avoid depleting the system last summer with those trades.

Doyers only gave up 3 "good" players last year: Eovaldi (still wasn't sold on him - he's not looking good in Miami), Webster (BoSox are drooling, while I do think he's going to be good, they are hyping too much IMO), and De La Rosa (also drool-worthy for Boston).

Basically, the new owners are doing exactly what they said they were going to do. They have to have a high payroll and overpay right now if they want to improve right now while still maintaining depth.

Give Colletti and Kasten shit for spending outrageously all you want, but I'd way rather have this team now than to watch this organization sit on their mountain of money and field a lesser team.

 

[Glenbino]

The thing with Magic and Koufax yesterday was the best thing that's gone down in that stadium in a long time.

It's nice to see someone not squandering the potential that owning that franchise presents.

 

[EmpireWF]

It was amazing to see 1 guy essentially put over 53,000 people on his back and stealing the show all by his lonesome (that is...until Koufax stepped out of the dugout).