Robinson Cano’s sudden firing of Scott Boras in favor of a new agency headed by Jay-Z didn’t just shock the baseball world, it stunned Boras, as well.
Wednesday, Boras implied the agency made Cano an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“In defense of Robinson, he signed with us on the 20th of March for another year knowing that in the relationship with the Yankees that we had another meeting scheduled in the future,” Boras said. “We had plans to continue to negotiate and had no complaints. For him to make such immediate changes means a lot was said to him, a lot was promised and a player sometimes needs time to understand situations when a great amount of new information comes his way.”
Cano wouldn’t say much Wednesday of his switch to CAA and Jay-Z’s new company, Roc Nation.
“It was a family decision and I don’t want to go into details,” Cano said.
The second baseman also did not explain why he waited until after he re-upped with Boras to make the move — or whether he now is more likely to stay with the Yankees. CAA clients tend to sign extensions before free agency, while Boras typically has his players test the market.
“I’ll let my agent decide that and talk to the Yankees and see what happens,” said Cano, who will be represented by Brodie Van Wagenen.
Boras said the two sides had been “working fluidly” and negotiations were set up with Yankees hierarchy — including owner Hal Steinbrenner and president Randy Levine — but general manager Brian Cashman said that was news to him.
“There was no scheduled meeting I was aware of,” Cashman said. “I talked to Randy Levine and he said the same.”
According to someone with knowledge of the situation, Boras told the Yankees there would be no negotiations during the season after the team made an offer during spring training, but the agent said he was willing to talk.
“We had negotiations set up for early in the season with Hal and Randy,” Boras said. “We don’t normally negotiate during the season with the team, but Hal requested it and so we decided to do it.”
Boras flew to New York Wednesday to meet with his former client, a meeting that seemed unlikely to happen.
Cashman added he has had no contact with Cano’s new agency about their new client.
— Additional reporting by Joel Sherman and George A. King III.