Former Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen is re-entering the representation industry, as Roc Nation Sports has hired him as COO and Head of Strategy & Business Development. Van Wagenen will work closely with and report directly to Roc Nation Founder Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Roc Nation Sports President Juan Perez. Van Wagenen will develop and execute long-term organizational objectives for Roc Nation Sports and its athlete clients and will support continued growth in both player representation and strategic partnerships. Prior to his two-year stint with the Mets, Van Wagenen served as CAA Baseball co-Head. Carter in a statement said, "Brodie’s knowledge of the business is indisputable and unparalleled. 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" (Liz Mullen, THE DAILY).
NOT JUST FOCUSED ON MLB: In N.Y., Ken Davidoff notes Van Wagenen "won’t focus strictly on baseball" at Roc Nation Sports, though he will "surely provide his expertise and leverage his relationships when a situation calls for it." He instead will "oversee all of the sports representation ... and search for ways to enhance his clients’ footprints." Van Wagenen said that after the Mets let him go in November, he "heard from numerous agencies as well as folks involved in venture capital and hedge funds." However, he said, ”I’m really coming full circle to Roc Nation because everything I heard and was exposed to led me back to this company” (N.Y. POST, 1/27).
