Remember, April Fools' was yesterday. The hiring of hip-hop superstar Jay-Z to be his agent — along with the firing of Scott Boras on Tuesday — must bode well for Robinson Cano returning to the New York Yankees next season. You have to figure that Jay-Z wouldn't take Cano out of New York. He might not even take Cano on a free-agency tour, which Boras surely would have done, given that Cano's contract with the Yankees expires after this season. That means the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals wouldn't get a crack at offering Cano a ridiculous amount and thus driving up his price from a more reasonable ridiculous amount the Yankees might want to pay him.
In case you don't believe the union: Here's an Instagram of Cano and Shawn Carter signing on the line which is dotted. All aboard the Hova-craft!
You might recall another famous rapper attempting to rep pro athletes. Master P didn't do so hot with Ricky Williams and others. Jay-Z's foray into the biz, with a new agency he has formed called Roc Nation, can be considered a rebirth of the rock-n-jock genre. And so again, "representin' " has a literal and figurative meaning in the hip-hop world. (And no word if this means Billy Butler of the Royals will be hiring Blake Shelton.)
Jay-Z won't be going into this alone. (Jigga, please.) Roc Nation is partnering with CAA to do this sports agent thing. CAA knows what it's doing. Here's Cano's take, in a canned statement via the Roc Nation website:
“At this point in my career, I am ready to take a more active role in my endeavors both on and off the field. I am confident that the pairing of Roc Nation Sports and CAA Sports will be essential in helping me accomplish my short- and long-term goals. I am making this important decision now so I can keep my focus on helping the Yankees succeed in 2013, while minimizing any distractions for me and my teammates.”
Boras still has many clients; there's no need to weep for him. And Cano obviously feels like he'll be better-marketed with New York City representation. The baseball contract, as driven by the market, almost will take care of itself.
No matter Jay-Z's negotiating skillz, there's every reason to expect Cano to be the highest-paid second baseman in history. It's just a matter of how high. This season, he and Ian Kinsler of the Rangers are scheduled to make $15 million apiece. Going forward, Cano might get $20 or $25 or $28 million per season. At eight years and $25 million per, that would get him to a $200 million dollar package (thank you, math!). A lot of money in any 'hood. Yo.
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