The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Mets promote Zack Scott to acting GM
NEW YORK — Zack Scott was promoted to acting general manager of the New York Mets on Wednesday, eight days after GM Jared Porter was fired.
Scott was hired as assistant GM on Dec. 23 after 17 seasons with the Boston Red Sox, the last two as assistant GM.
“Zack has plenty of championship experience to draw upon,” Mets president Sandy Alderson said in a statement. “He has been an integral part of our decision-making processes since his arrival. The entire baseball operations staff, including myself, will continue to work collaboratively.”
Scott, 43, oversaw Boston’s analytics along with advance scouting and professional scouting. He joined the team as an intern, became an assistant in 2005, then spent six seasons as assistant director of baseball operations.
A graduate of the University of Vermont with a mathematics degrees, he worked for Diamond Mind Inc. from 2000-03 as a developer of baseball simulation software.
Porter was hired by the Mets on Dec. 13 and was fired Jan. 19, nine hours after ESPN reported he sent sexually explicit, uninvited text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 when he was working for the Chicago Cubs in their front office.
FORMER METS GM BRODIE VAN WAGENEN BECOMES COO OF ROC NATION SPORTS
NEW YORK — Brodie Van Wagenen might have 99 problems but landing a new gig that directly reports to Jay-Z ain’t one.
The former Mets GM was named Roc Nation Sports’ new COO and Head of Strategy and Business Development, the sports management agency an
nounced in a press release on Wednesday. Van Wagenen, in his new role, will work hand-in-hand with Jay-Z, who founded and launched the company in 2013, and Juan Perez, Roc Nation Sports president.
“Brodie’s knowledge of the business is indisputable and unparalleled,” Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter said. “Since we first worked with Brodie, we realized the shared commitment to athletes both on and off the field. He’s always been extended family and now it’s official.”
Van Wagenen, 46, was fired by the Mets this past November when new billionaire owner Steve Cohen appointed Sandy Alderson as team president and made a series of leadership changes. Van Wagenen previously served as cohead of CAA Sports’ baseball division. At CAA, Van Wagenen negotiated a record-breaking contract for Yoenis Cespedes in 2016 that matched the highestever average annual value ($25 million) for a center fielder.
CAA and Roc Nation Sports began a partnership in early 2013 before the two groups split in 2015. That’s when Van Wagenen, under CAA’s umbrella, first got to know Jay-Z and Perez and helped Roc Nation Sports grow as a company. The Mets, backed by former owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon,
convinced Van Wagenen to leave his high-profile gig as CAA agent and join the Mets as GM in 2018.
Current Mets players Robinson Cano and Dominic Smith are represented by Roc Nation Sports. Van Wagenen also represented Cano as a CAA agent. He helped the veteran second baseman complete a 10year, $240 million contract with the Seattle Mariners in 2013 — the remainder of which landed on the Mets’ plate when Cano was traded to Queens alongside Edwin Diaz in December, 2018. That Cano contract helped Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports gain more recognition.
“Under Jay’s leadership, I believe Roc Nation and Roc Nation Sports are uniquely positioned to maximize the opportunities for the modern-day talent,” Van Wagenen told the Daily News. “I’m very excited to formalize my relationship with Jay and Juan in a formal capacity after first working with them during the launch of Roc Nation Sports in 2013.”
Now, Van Wagenen’s duties as COO include developing and executing long-term organizational objectives for Roc Nation Sports. Athletes will continue reporting directly to Jay-Z and Perez.
Roc Nation Sports represents a slew of professional athletes, including Nets star Kyrie Irving, former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and Giants running back Saquon Barkley. The sports
management agency launched as a subset of Roc Nation, which was founded in 2008, and represents entertainment moguls like Rihanna, Shakira, J. Cole, Big Sean and more.
“For all of Jay-Z’s strengths and accomplishments, it is his commitment to helping others achieve their goals that stands out to me,” Van Wagenen said in a statement. “At Roc Nation, he and Juan Perez have created an ecosystem whereby the world’s best talent can maximize opportunities in a rapidly changing economy. I am honored and excited to join them in making client dreams become realities.”
METS ADD LEFT-HANDER AARON LOUP TO THEIR BULLPEN, AGREEING TO A ONE-YEAR CONTRACT
NEW YORK — The Mets added a left-hander to their bullpen, agreeing to a oneyear contract with Aaron Loup, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement was subject to a successful physical.
Loup, 33, was 3-2 with a 2.52 ERA in 25 innings over 24 games for AL champion Tampa Bay last season, allowing 17 hits while striking out 22 and walking four. Once considered a lefty specialist, he held right-handed batters to a
.192 average with three home runs in 58 plate appearances and left-handed batters to a .212 average with no home runs in 38 plate appearances.
Loup did not allow a run in eight of nine postseason appearances. Leading 5-4 in the seventh inning of World Series Game 4, he gave up a single to Corey Seager and a double to Justin Turner, then struck out Max Muncy. Joc Pederson hit a tworun single off Nick Anderson with two outs, but the Rays rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-7, tying the Series 2-2.
He has not allowed a home run to a left-handed batter since Tampa Bay’s Corey Dickerson on June 13, 2017 when Loup was pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays.
New York’s bullpen includes closer Edwin Diaz, right-handers Dellin Betances, Seth Lugo, Robert Gsellman, Jeurys Familia, Brad Brach and Trevor May.
Loup is 15-22 with six saves and a 3.38 ERA in nine major-league seasons with Toronto (2012-18), Philadelphia (2019), San Diego (2019) and the Rays (2020).
He earned $611,111 in prorated base pay from a $1.65 million salary last year plus $132,970 in earned bonuses for a total of $744,081. The Padres had declined his $2 million option for 2020, triggering a $200,000 buyout.