Brodie Van Wagenen, former GM of the New York Mets, joins Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports as COO

Former New York Mets CEO Brodie Van Wagenen was hired Wednesday as Roc Nation Sports’ chief operating officer, who returned to the entertainment business two years after his unconventional move to a baseball office. .

Van Wagenen, 46, had worked in the past with Roc Nation when he was co-director of the Creative Artists Agency’s baseball division, helping negotiate nine-figure contracts for Robinson Cano and Yoenis Cespedes.

The Mets fired Van Wagenen as part of an extensive overhaul of their baseball operations department when Steve Cohen bought the team in November. Roc Nation, owned by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and led by Juan Perez, offered a role that includes the title of head of strategy and business development.

“We believed in the vision that Jay and Juan had in 2013,” Van Wagenen said. “We kept in constant touch with them. It was a natural comeback.”

Van Wagenen, among his clients such as Cano, Cespedes, Jacob deGrom and Tim Tebow, said he will focus on bigger issues rather than the day-to-day work of his past as a baseball agent, but will remain active in the world of baseball. .

“Brodie’s knowledge of the business is indisputable and unmatched,” Carter said in a statement. “Since we first worked with Brodie, we’ve realized the shared commitment to athletes both on and off the field. It’s always been an extended family and now it’s official.”

Van Wagenen’s tenure with the Mets began with a box office trade that sent top potential Jarred Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners for Cano and Edwin Diaz, the closest. Although the Mets improved to 86-76 in Van Wagenen’s first year, they fell below the playoffs. After the team struggled to get fourth place in 2020, Cohen emptied the main office.