Zack Scott Elevated to Acting General Manager of the Mets

Van Wagenen returns to the world of player representation after spending two years as the Mets’ general manager. The club’s previous owners, the Wilpon family, surprised many in baseball in 2018 when they hired Van Wagenen, who had no previous front office experience. Complicating matters was Van Wagenen’s serving as the agent for Mets players such as pitcher Jacob deGrom, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and infielder Todd Frazier.

The Mets were 112-110 under Van Wagenen, failing to make the playoffs in both years. Hours after Cohen closed on his purchase of the Mets in November, he cleaned house in the front office and fired Van Wagenen.

Van Wagenen will work with all the athletes at Roc Nation, not just those in baseball, and report directly to Jay-Z, the entertainment company’s founder, and Juan Perez, the sports agency’s president.

“Brodie’s knowledge of the business is indisputable and unparalleled,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Since we first worked with Brodie, we realized the shared commitment to athletes both on and off the field. He’s always been extended family and now it’s official.”

Van Wagenen, previously an agent at IMG and Creative Artists Agency, has a history with Roc Nation Sports. When the agency was started in 2013, it partnered with Van Wagenen and C.A.A. to represent second baseman Robinson Cano and Cespedes, who remain Roc Nation clients.

Cano signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Seattle Mariners in 2013, was acquired by the Mets in 2018 under Van Wagenen and was suspended for the entire 2021 season by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug a second time. Cespedes signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Mets in 2016, missed nearly two seasons with baseball and nonbaseball injuries, and opted out of most of the 2020 season because of the pandemic after a spat with the team.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/sports/baseball/zack-scott-mets-gm.html