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

Former New York Mets General Manager Brodie Van Wagenen was hired as Chief Operating Officer of Roc Nation Sports on Wednesday and returned to representation two years after his unconventional jump to a baseball front office.

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

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

“We believed in the vision that Jay and Juan had in 2013,” said Van Wagenen. ‘We have been in constant contact with them. It was a natural homecoming. ‘

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

“Brodie’s knowledge of the company is unquestionable and unparalleled,” Carter 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 an extended family and now it’s official.”

Van Wagenen’s tenure with the Mets began with a blockbuster trade that sent top prospect Jarred Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners ahead of Cano and All-Star closer Edwin Diaz. Although the Mets improved to 86-76 in Van Wagenen’s first year, they were left behind in the playoffs. After the team struggled to fourth place in 2020, Cohen cleared the front office.