The Mets have "finalized a deal" to bring in CAA Sports' Brodie Van Wagenen to be their new GM, according to sources cited by Kristie Ackert of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. A source said that Van Wagenen, who represents seven players on the Mets major league roster, will be "introduced this week." The hiring has been expected since Friday, but the negotiations were "complicated by Van Wagenen’s position as the co-head of CAA." Van Wagenen has "worked out many deals with the Mets over the years, giving the team’s ownership a comfort level with him, but he will have to work hard to get the rest of baseball to be as comfortable with this move" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/29). In New Jersey, Matt Ehalt noted Van Wagenen is one of the "most respected agents in the sport, but has never worked in a front office." The Mets are "hoping that his leadership skills and background in contract negotiations will help him make the transition into his new role" (Bergen RECORD, 10/28). On Long Island, Tim Healey writes hiring Van Wagenen is a "bold, outside-the-box hire for the Mets, who cast a wide net after Sandy Alderson stepped away because of cancer four months ago" (NEWSDAY, 10/29).
CHANGING HATS: MLB.com's Anthony DiComo noted while "moving from an agency to a front office is rare, it is not unprecedented." Recent examples include Dave Stewart, who switched from agent to D-backs GM in the fall of '14 but was "dismissed two years later." A few years prior, Jeff Moorad "gave up a career as an agent to become part-owner of the D-backs and then the Padres." Still, Van Wagenen will "face significant scrutiny, given the number of Mets players he represented." He is "privy to classified medical information that he could theoretically use against his clients in contract negotiations." In July, he said publicly that the Mets should either sign P Jacob deGrom to a long-term contract extension or trade him, though "nothing ever came of that ultimatum." Now, any negotiations with deGrom would "present an inherent conflict of interest" (MLB.com, 10/28). MLBPA Exec Dir Tony Clark said that the union membership is concerned about the transition of a players’ representative to a management role. The moves by Moorad and Stewart preceded the heightened focus on analytics currently existing in the game. Clark acknowledged the membership is concerned the knowledge Van Wagenen gained in his agent role could now be used against them in future contract negotiations. Clark said, "I won’t tell you how many calls or how many texts I have gotten. I will simply suggest to you that our membership is paying attention" (Eric Fisher, THE DAILY). In N.Y., Joel Sherman notes both the union and MLB agree Van Wagenen must be barred from "participating in arbitrations" involving former players such as deGrom and Mets P Noah Syndergaard (N.Y. POST, 10/29).
TOUGH SPOT: Sherman wrote Van Wagenen's transition to GM could be tricky since he has "been in competition with the other large agents such as Scott Boras or Casey Close or Seth Levinson to land and keep top players." Van Wagenen will have to "traverse through old feuds, new positions and whatever players are thinking about his flip from one side of the divide to the other" (N.Y. POST, 10/28). The DAILY NEWS' Ackert noted Boras, perhaps the biggest agent in the game, on Friday "voiced his concerns" on ESPN radio’s "The Michael Kay Show." Boras not only represents "two of the biggest free agents on the market" in Nationals RF Bryce Harper and Dodgers 3B Manny Machado, but Mets LF Michael Conforto, one of the stars the Mets "hope to build around in the future." One agent wondered if Boras and Van Wagenen could find "common ground" and work together this offseason. The Mets and Van Wagenen will have to "come up with a transparent way to address these concerns not just for his former clients, but also so that other players feel that they can work with this front office." Agents need to find the "best jobs for their teams and will find a way to work with Van Wagenen in the long run" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/28).
