Red Sox left fielder Yoenis Cespedes has switched agencies and is now being represented by Roc Nation Sports. The agency welcomed its newest client via the Roc Nation Twitter feed. CAA’s Brodie Van Wagenen will be handling the baseball side of Cespedes’ representation, WEEI.com’s Alex Speier tweets, similar to other Roc Nation clients like Robinson Cano and Rusney Castillo.
Roc Nation was linked to Cespedes as far back as July 2013, when the agency was rumored to be courting the outfielder. While the agency founded by Jay Z isn’t even two years old, it already represents a number of major names from the sports world, including Cano, Castillo and C.C. Sabathia. Under the Roc Nation banner, Cano and Castillo both notably signed contracts that were above industry expectations.
Cespedes only has one year remaining on the four-year, $36MM deal he originally signed with the A’s prior to the 2012 season. He has reportedly not given much consideration to signing an extension with the Red Sox, which has led to speculation that the Sox could look to trade him this winter. Whether he stays in Boston or not, Cespedes is clearly looking ahead to a big payday on his next contract.
Cespedes had previously been represented by WMG’s Adam Katz, who has now lost two high-profile clients within the last few weeks after Nelson Cruz joined Relativity Sports.
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I’m guessing Cespedes wants as much money as possible at free agency and he probably approached Boston with an extension offer that they no doubt scoffed at and now he just wants to prepare for the bidding war of Off Season 2015.
Judging by current rumors, he’ll soon be switching teams too.
And now Seattle fans, introducing your new DH- YOENIS CESPEDES!!!! Oh, and by the way, you’re welcome Robbie Cano. Heres the RH hitter you’ve been looking for to bat behind you. Could be the one bat the mariners are looking for to help get them over the top.
AL west the new powerhouse division in ML baseball?
Adam Katz sure did a good job negotiating the clause in Cespedes’ current contract that makes him ineligible to receive a QO after the 2015 season. That will probably have as large an effects on Cespedes next contract as his new agent will.
But he isn’t married to Beyonce so what does that matter?
That is huge, if he is smart, just play out year. He’ll be a big target next year, without a team losing a Draft Pick.
If agents get 5 % of the contracts (don’t know if it’s that high, or if it’s even higher) then 60 MM for Cespedes and 40 MM for Cruz would mean Katz is going to lose out on 5 MM here. They’re probably going to command 100 MM in combined contracts. Cespedes especially could have a bidding war.
Their are actually market forces that are driving the cost of an agents cut down under 4 percent, and low as 1.5 percent in some cases. Fangraphs had a good piece on the downsized business model.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, this news LOWERS his trade value.
Not really.
HE has no QO and the Boston Press is vilifying him as a “difficult” player to coach with self imposed restrictions as to when he is willing to play. How can he be looked at as anything more than a 1 year rental? You have your ear to the ground closer to Boston than most of us. Why do you think his trade value is not effected by this information
Because the fact that he isn’t willing to sign an extension isn’t new at all. He wants to test free agency. We all know that and we knew it before. Who his agent is doesn’t change that.
Seattle doesn’t match up because they aren’t trading their mlb ready starters. Cincy, San diego and a few others are much better matches. Sox are in a good position. If we don’t get what we want, just keep him for 2015.
Makes zero sense for the Sox to trade Cespedes unless he’s part of a much larger package that brings back an Ace. Extension seems high unlikely at this point so max value is letting him hit behind Papi for a year.
I figure they either move Betts or Cespedes for a front line starter. Victorino had an injury riddled season which killed his value but in 2013 he played great if he can get back to that form. Ideally Id rather keep Betts than Cespedes as I think he will end up being a better player.
-Sign Lester (I hope)
-Move Cespedes for another starter
-Sandoval at 3B? Headley?
-get a back up plan for Koji (in case his age is finally catching up)
I don’t think they’d move Betts unless is was part of a package to get Stanton, and I don’t believe Stanton will be moved, so I see Betts staying with the Red Sox. Headley seems like a good fit, although he might be more pricey than some are expecting and I’m also not sure that despite the Yankees words that he was a “rental” when they picked him up that they won’t make a push to bring him back. I don’t see Lester returning. I do think he was serious about giving them a discount last offseason, but that was then and this is now. He’s about to get very high offers. I just don’t see the Red Sox matching them, or Lester taking that much of a discount. I see him on the Cubs or the Yankees.
Truth is it was a 1 year Band-Aid fix. Same as last year with Lester, just 1 year later, with different player. He’ll get very little in return in a Trade, Team he joins gets him for 1 year, and cant offer QO.
Cespey is a valuable commodity. The Sox are in the drivers seat. If he has a walk year like Cruz the Sox have a shot to make the playoffs with a middle of the order of Cespey, Ortiz and Napoli. They will spend on Lester. They will make a run at McCarthy or Shields and perhaps Santana or Hamels. Give the young stud pitchers another year to mature at AAA. If the Sox are not jelling enough to make the playoffs–trade Cespey to a contender at the TD for a couple of prospects.
With Jay Z’s firm now representing him, Cespedes is absolutely going to test the free agent market, although that seemed pretty obvious before he was traded to the Red Sox and before he switched agents. He’ll be 30 in 2016, so this will be his one chance to really go for the big money.