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

Former New York Mets CEO Brodie Van Wagenen was hired as chief operating officer at Roc Nation Sports on Wednesday, returning to acting two years after his unconventional jump to a baseball office.

Van Wagenen, 46, had previously worked with Roc Nation as co-head of the Creative Artists Agency’s baseball division, helping negotiate nine-figure contracts for Robinson Cano and Yoenis Cespedes.

The Mets fired Van Wagenen as part of a comprehensive overhaul of their baseball operations department when Steve Cohen bought the team in November. Roc Nation, owned by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and led by Juan Perez, offered a role that includes titles of head of strategy and business development.

“I believed in the vision that Jay and Juan had in 2013,” said Van Wagenen. “I kept in constant contact with them. It was a natural comeback.”

Van Wagenen, whose clients were Cano, Cespedes, Jacob deGrom and Tim Tebow, said he would focus on more general issues than his day-to-day work as a baseball agent, but would remain active in the world of baseball.

“Brodie’s knowledge of the business is undeniable and unmatched,” Carter said in a statement. “Since we first worked with Brodie, we’ve realized the common commitment to athletes both on and off the field. He’s always been an extended family and now he’s official.”

Van Wagenen’s tenure with the Mets began with a successful deal that sent top prospect Jarred Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners for Cano and Edwin Diaz. Although the Mets improved to 86-76 in Van Wagenen’s first year, they failed to reach the playoffs. After the team struggled to finish fourth in 2020, Cohen emptied the front office.