Weasel of the Week: Brodie Van Wagenen

It's not as if the New York Yankees have enough problems on their hands, but the tabloid press in New York will beat this story into the ground all winter long if they have to. Thankfully, it has nothing to do with Alex Rodriguez.

At the beginning of the year, Robinson Cano dismissed the greediest agent in the business, Scott (20 Mule Team) Boras in favor of linking up with rapper Jay Z's Roc Nation group, which in turn is associated with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), one of the most powerful agencies in show business. We all know Boras' habit of fleecing owners to feather his nest, largely because he never made it to the big leagues himself as a catcher in the Padres' chain back in the day. Unfortunately, CAA & Roc Nation have the same mentality.

Jay Z gave up his interest in the NBA's Brooklyn Nets to get into the sports agent business, and assigned some nothing happening jabroni named Brodie Van Wagenen to (mis)represent Cano. Van Wagenen's 1st mistake was claiming Cano, who led his native Dominican Republic to the World Baseball Classic championship in March, wanted as much as $300 million for a free agent contract. Boras, you'll recall, conned the Rangers, and later, the Yankees, into paying A-Rod up to $275 million. Van Wagenen, obviously, has studied the Boras playbook. So far, no one's biting, not even the Yankees, which suggests that Van Wagenen overestimated his client's total worth.

The Yankees, obviously, see Cano as their new cornerstone. Derek Jeter likely will get one more year, at the very least. A-Rod? Fuhgeddaboutit. Van Wagenen has never represented a professional athlete before, and is over-reaching the same way Boras always has. Jay Z is playing right along, like a fool, and should know better, having been on the other side of the negotiatiing table with the Nets. Is Robinson Cano worth $300 million? Maybe, but he folded up in the postseason in 2012, just like A-Rod had in past years. Then again, the Yankees as a team did an el-fold-o against Detroit. The media believes Van Wagenen & Cano will come down to earth and accept a more reasonable price tag. Not quite A-Rod-level excess numbers, but enough to keep Cano in pinstripes.

Because he dove in head first without doing enough proper research & due diligence, and earning Cano the likely wrath of Yankee loyalists should he leave, Brodie Van Wagenen is our Weasel of the Week. Accept no substitutes, pal. You reap what you sow.