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Labor and Agents

Roc Nation’s baseball division starting to build out its roster from the ground up

When Jay-Z launched Roc Nation Sports in partnership with CAA Sports in 2013, the agency’s first signed athlete was a Major League Baseball player — then New York Yankees and now Mets slugger Robinson Cano. Since then, the agency has signed multiple veteran players, and now represents 25 baseball players including Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.

But Roc Nation had not previously concentrated on building the practice through the draft. That changed, however, this year as the agency advised three top prospects in the MLB draft, including right-handed pitcher Max Meyer, the No. 3 overall pick of the Miami Marlins.

Joey Devine helped negotiate Max Meyer’s deal with the Marlins.roc nation sports

Meyer was advised by former MLB pitcher-turned-agent Joey Devine and Kyle Thousand, who heads Roc Nation’s baseball division. They negotiated a $6.7 million signing bonus for Meyer, who was the first pitcher drafted out of the University of Minnesota. 

Roc Nation also advised Patrick Bailey, a catcher out of N.C. State, who was taken No. 13 overall by the San Francisco Giants. Devine and Thousand advised him and negotiated his $3.8 million signing bonus. Roc Nation advised Masyn Winn, an 18-year-old right-handed pitcher and shortstop out of Kingwood (Texas) High School, who was taken No. 54 overall by the St. Louis Cardinals. Roc Nation MLB agent Andrew Guerra and Thousand advised him and negotiated a $2.1 million signing bonus. 

All three players are now on their teams’ 60-man rosters in the taxi squad of 30 extra players that was created this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those players would normally be playing in the minor league systems of the club that selected them, but there is no minor league baseball this year. 

Roc Nation’s Andrew Guerra advised Masyn Winn, who was taken Nov. 54 by the St. Louis Cardinals.roc nation sports

Thousand joined Roc Nation from Excel Sports Management in 2015, just before the Roc Nation-CAA Sports partnership ended. Since then he’s built a team of agents, including Mike Rodriguez, Chris Capo, Guerra and Devine.

The MLB draft takes years of planning, as players often select advisers years before they are drafted. (In baseball, players have an adviser for the draft to keep their amateur status, but can have an agent once they sign a professional contract.)

Roc Nation, as in other sports, focused on quality over quantity, Thousand said.  

Meyer led pitchers on last year’s U.S. national collegiate team with an 0.64 ERA and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award this year before his season was cut short by the pandemic. “He’s got a fastball that’s been clocked at 100 mph, but he’s probably got the best breaking ball in the draft,” Thousand said.

Bailey, the first catcher taken in the draft, was Meyer’s teammate on the national team. “He’s a switch-hitting catcher,” Thousand said. “He’s a power hitter from both sides of the plate.” 

Winn, meanwhile, has a 98 mph fastball and was committed to the University of Arkansas if he was not drafted. “He was the first legit two-way player selected in the draft,” Thousand said. “He might just pitch or he might just be a hitter or he’ll do both.” 

Said Thousand, “It’s a great first start for us and we are only just getting started.” 

HAMBRIC SIGNS PETER KUEST: Hambric Sports has signed BYU golfer Peter Kuest, who was ranked the No. 1 college golfer last fall. Rocky Hambric, who counts world No. 5 Dustin Johnson and world No. 6 Brooks Koepka as clients, is representing Kuest, who won 10 college golf tournaments. 

Hambric said Kuest reminds him of Johnson, whom he signed in 2007. Back then, he told Sports Business Journal that Johnson “can slam dunk a basketball flat-footed” because he was so athletic. At the time he was not that highly sought after as a golfer. 

“He won seven college tournaments and nobody cared,” Hambric said, remembering Johnson out of college. “And Kuest has won 10 college tournaments and nobody cares,” he said, noting despite that feat, Kuest did not win any of the major golf awards.

But Hambric’s been a golf agent for 40 years and he likes what he sees in Kuest, who grew up playing baseball and switched to golf when he blew out his pitching arm. “From a golf standpoint, he reminds me exactly of DJ,” Hambric said. “He’s very, very athletic. He hits it miles.” 

RADEGEN WORKING ON DEALS FOR ESPORTS CLIENTS: Radegen Sports is in talks with traditional sports endorsement brands for its new esports gamer clients, which the agency now represents after it formed a partnership with esports rep firm Bad Moon Talent in July. 

“We are close to some deals,” said Ryan Henderson, Radegen vice president of marketing and partnerships. “Our goal is focusing on the traditional sports partnership brands, like sports beverages, rest and recovery products and brands, as well as some larger brands that have partnerships with major team sports leagues.”

Radegen’s clients include traditional athletes such as former MLB player David Ortiz, Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel and Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack. Bad Moon’s clients include “Call of Duty” esports commentator Clint “Maven” Evans, Seattle Surge player Ian “Enable” Wyatt and EA Madden champion Raidel “Joke” Brito.

Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen. 

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