Close shows clients the money
Agent’s style, savvy lead to $700M offseason
TAMPA There are folks who dream of slipping away from the brutal New York winter to vacation in Mexico or imagine they’re married to Miss America or they make so much money New York Yankees icon Derek Jeter is asking for a loan.
Welcome to the real world of Casey Close.
Close, a former All-America baseball player at Michigan who roomed with Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, played 4½ years in the minor leagues after being drafted by the Yankees and married Miss America 1989, hit the mother lode as a baseball agent this offseason.
Close and his company, Excel Sports Management, negotiated $700 million in contracts, the largest total during a single offseason in baseball history.
“This is the most enjoyable period I’ve ever had in the business,” said Close, 50, an agent since 1992. Close was reunited three years ago with his former co-workers from 22 years ago at IMG. He now is partners with Mark Steinberg — yes, Tiger Woods’ agent — along with Jeff Schwartz, who represents NBA
stars such as Paul Pierce and Blake Griffin
“It’s not so much the results but the unique culture we have here,” Close said. “We’re having a blast.” A little money doesn’t hurt. Just applying the standard 4% fees alone, Close netted $28 million for his company in a threemonth span.
“I told him I need a loan,” said Jeter, who has been represented by Close since he was 18, earning $253 million with the Yankees before he retires after this season. “He’s done a great job. But the thing about Casey is that he’s not someone who flaunts that he negotiated these contracts.
“Casey understands he has a job to do and it’s not about him but doing what’s best for his clients. He’s always been that way.”
He had reason to brag. There were seven contracts this offseason worth at least $100 million, and Close and his company negotiated four of them.
The biggest: Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw received a seven-year, $215 million contract one year before free agency, making him the highest-paid player in baseball with an average salary of $30.7 million.
There were the monthlong negotiations for Masahiro Tanaka that involved 15 clubs. The result was a seven-year, $155 million contract with the Yankees — the most lucrative deal signed by a Japanese player.
Then there was Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman’s eight-year, $135 million extension. Jason Heyward’s two-year, $13.3 million deal. And Cincinnati Reds pitcher Homer Bailey’s six-year, $105 million extension.
Toss in another dozen players on one-year deals, including a raise for Jeter from $9.5 million to $12 million, and voila! — you get some three-quarters of a billion dollars.
Dodgers starter Zack Greinke analyzed all the deals.
“I think the best contract of all of them,” Greinke says, “was Jamey Wright’s contract.”
The 39-year-old Dodgers reliever’s one-year, $1.8 million deal? “Yeah,” he says. “It was his first major league contract in nine years. So it’s got to be.”
Greinke actually represented himself in 2012 before conducting a search and hiring Close.
Then, Close got him a six-year, $147 million deal, a record at the time for a right-handed pitcher. What’s more, Greinke has an out clause after the 2015 season, as does Tanaka after 2017 and Kershaw after 2018 — giving his three top pitchers their own markets.
“He has better ethics than most,” Greinke says. “There are other very good agents out there, but they are very slimy.
“He may not get every last penny, but he’s not going to get in a situation where you get screwed or get put in a bad situation or bad contract.”
Certainly, Close can keep a secret. There wasn’t a clue about Jeter’s retirement. No one knew which team was going to win the Tanaka sweepstakes.
“You definitely appreciate that,” Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said, “that when you talk, it remains private. And when you talk to him, you feel like you’re going to get the truth. There are no emotional ups and downs.
“He’s as tough as there are in negotiations. But at least you feel good about the process.”
Says Yankees GM Brian Cashman, “There are so many different styles when it comes to agents, and I appreciate his style more than others.”
Close still tries to live a normal life. He managed to get away to Cabo San Lucas for a family vacation after Christmas in between his negotiations and his wife’s TV show, The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson, on Fox News. And, yes, the cellphone does go off during family dinner hour.
“Casey is family,” Jeter says. “We have a relationship that goes beyond player-agent. We have a lot of the same characteristics. I’m extremely loyal. So is Casey.”
So if Jeter fulfills his desire to purchase a baseball team, we have an idea whom he’ll be calling for a loan.