Jay Z will be 'intimately involved' in Robinson Cano negotiations, says agent

Robinson Cano remains baseball's most high profile free agent this off-season and his representatives are expected to resume negotiations with the New York Yankees sometime this week.

But Cano's representation by Shawn "Jay Z" Carter — the player's agent with Roc Nation in a joint agreement with CAA — in dealing with the team was not so clear cut. Until now.

Jay Z will play a larger role in handling the second baseman's dealings in the process, according to CAA agent Brodie Van Wagenen.

The rap mogul, who recently found himself in trouble with the MLBPA after "gifting" Cano with an expensive watch for his birthday, will not idly sit by while one of his first superstar clients heads to the bargaining table, Van Wagenen said Sunday on Sirius XM’s MLB Network Radio.

“He’s going to be intimately involved in all areas,” said Van Wagenen. “And that has been true for the last six months. It’s certainly true now. Jay is a very, very successful businessman, who has a keen understanding of value, a keen understanding of brands, and a keen understand of what this player, Robinson Cano, wants to accomplish in his career.

“He’s been at the table both in strategy sessions and in preparation. And he absolutely has, and will continue to be, involved in the actual negotiations with potential suitors.”

Van Wagenen also downplayed the occasional suggestion that the market for Cano will not develop. While teams may shy away from his reported $300 million asking price, Van Wagenen does not doubt there will be high levels of interest.

“What I think people are starting to recognize as well is that players of this magnitude don’t come along very often,” he said. “And the opportunity to acquire them is limited. And when you want to try to acquire impact, middle-of-the-order, dynamic players, rare talent, you can only do it in a few areas.

“The draft, which is an uncertain process, because you don’t know how these guys are going to develop, and there’s a time investment that has to take place – if you are successful enough to get those guys to be impact, face-of-the-franchise type players.

“You can trade for them. But nowadays, it comes with a high cost as well. You can sign them internationally. Or you can go out and get them in free agency. So there’s not that many opportunities for players of this magnitude to come out. I think teams recognize that.

“Where we are is there’s teams that are interested. And I think what people realize is that he’s going to make an immediate impact on the field, and then of course there’s going to be additional business value that comes with the association of a player with that magnitude, with a diverse fanbase.”