CIRCLE THE WAGENEN

AGENT REACHES DEAL IN PRINCIPLE TO BECOME NEXT METS GM

LOS ANGELES — Now we will find out if Brodie Van Wagenen really meant it — and, if so, can he convince his soon-to-be new bosses to spend a lot more of their money.

Van Wagenen and the Mets reached agreement in principle on a deal that will make him the team’s general manager. Reaching terms was not a small matter. Van Wagenen has been among the game’s most successful agents, so he was in a lucrative career and needed a lot larger financial commitment to work for the Wilpons than, say, runner-up, Rays executive Chaim Bloom.

Van Wagenen has been better at getting money from the Wilpons than just about anyone. Despite a general slowdown in the free-agent market, in his capacity as lead baseball agent for Creative Artist Agency (CAA), Van Wagenen the past two offseasons helped negotiate a four-year, $110 million pact for Yoenis Cespedes, a two-year, $17 million deal for Todd Frazier and a two-year, $16 million agreement for Jason Vargas.

But as part of the anger and frustration over the grinding market in general, Van Wagenen went against his normally reserved public persona to issue a statement last February alleging collusion in free agency and hinting at a spring training player boycott. “A fight is brewing,” he warned.

Now, though, he is about to join the other side of the fight. So, did he actually mean that the players were not getting enough? Or does he think management has smartly figured out how to contain costs and all he was doing in his former job was rightly advocating for his clients?

The Mets were one of the few teams that spent the past two offseasons, in part because of Van Wagenen’s selling power. He clearly had influence with Jeff Wilpon — a key reason he is so close to taking the still rather unique leap from agent to GM.

Does he think the Mets paid the right amount for Cespedes or Frazier or Vargas? Too little? Too much?

Keep in mind that while spending in free agency, the Mets still did not take their overall payroll to an area befitting a major market. Does Van Wagenen believe that this is an area in which the Wilpons are being negligent and does he have the honeymoon goodwill and Wilpon whispering skills to influence a larger outlay?

Remember, also that in the off-day before the All-Star Game, Van Wagenen took the news cycle hostage by saying the Mets should either sign another of his clients, Jacob deGrom, long term or trade him. That felt like a leverage play. The Mets had to do nothing at the time. DeGrom was not a free agent until after 2020. They could play out 2018 with deGrom in what turned out to be a historic season and leave it to their next GM to decide what to do.

Van Wagenen is now about to be that next GM. Does he truly believe it is wise for a baseball team to give a starter who will pitch at 31 and has Tommy John surgery in his past a market-value extension? It will no longer be Van Wagenen’s job to get the Wilpons’ money as much as spend it wisely.

There will be questions about trust, too. DeGrom has to be wondering what secrets he has shared about strategy or his health or his sign-on-the-dottedline point that is now in the possession of management.

No group has had the ties to the Mets like CAA. Cespedes, Frazier, Vargas, deGrom, Brandon Nimmo and Robert Gsellman are all CAA clients as are perhaps the Mets’ top three pitching prospects — Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay and David Peterson. You know who else? Tim Tebow. Does Van Wagenen really think it is a good idea to have a 31-year-old former quarterback with a .734 OPS at Double-A swallowing up so much attention down below? Or was he just servicing the fantasy league aspirations of a vital client to the CAA stable?

Slowly, Van Wagenen will have to reveal his true beliefs with actions as the Mets’ prime baseball advocate. It could get touchy, even with his former partners at CAA. Because if you think the other big agents aren’t circling, for example, deGrom and Syndergaard to try to poach them by pointing out that they have been betrayed, then you do not understand the hungry shark nature of the agent business.

This is not something with which, for example, Bloom would have had to contend. Then again, Bloom would not have the history of working with Jeff Wilpon that Van Wagenen already possesses nor the intricate and intimate knowledge of what agents are thinking during negotiations.

But what is Van Wagenen thinking? Does he think the Mets were wise to spend the money on his clients or does he think he could demonstrate not to be seduced by a good sales job?

Does he believe the players really have not been receiving enough or is he about to become an agent of change?