Move Over, Cano! Victor Cruz To Reportedly Join Forces With Jay-Z, Roc Nation Sports
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Robinson Cano isn't the only star athlete in New York to partner with rapper Jay-Z.
Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will apparently follow in the footsteps of the Yankees' second baseman.
Cano moved on from super-agent Scott Boras on Tuesday and signed on to be co-represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, "a full-service sports management company."
Multiple reports indicated on Wednesday that the 2012 Pro Bowler will also work with Jay-Z and Roc Nation Sports.
Though Cruz's affiliation with Roc Nation Sports is not official, his decision to be represented by CAA is. The third-year player recently hired CAA's Tom Condon to be his agent.
Cruz and Cano have plenty of similarities, in case you haven't noticed. Both are beloved in New York and, not coincidentally, both will soon be signing new, lucrative contracts.
Cano will be a free agent after the 2013 season and Cruz is on the market right now. Big Blue assigned a first-round tender to the restricted free agent earlier this month.
The tender means that Cruz has been offered a one-year deal worth $2.879 million.
"Certainly, we're taking a risk," Giants co-owner John Mara told reporters in early March. "But we would still have the right to match, and if we decided not to do that, we're getting a first-round draft pick out of it. So yeah, it is a risk for us, and he is an exciting, dynamic player. It's not going to shock me if somebody makes him an offer."
The Paterson, N.J., native has repeatedly said that he'd like to stay with his hometown Giants, but reports have indicated that Cruz's camp and the Giants have not come close to agreeing on financial terms for a possible extension.
"Listen, he's been a great player for us," Mara said. "Like we do with all of our players, there's a limit as to how far we're going to go on a contract. You have to pay 53 (players), and if the money goes over that limit, we have to make a decision. But we feel we're in a good position now. We've tendered him. If somebody wants to make him an offer, we'll evaluate whether it makes sense for us. My hope is he's a Giant for many years."
Roc Nation Sports was launched on Tuesday. Jay-Z said in a press release that he believes he can make a successful transition into the sports world and assist top athletes.
"Because of my love of sports, it was a natural progression to form a company where we can help top athletes in various sports the same way we have been helping artists in the music industry for years," Jay-Z said in a statement.
What do you think of Cano and Cruz joining forces with CAA and Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports? Will this soon become a trend among professional athletes? Sound off with your thoughts and comments below...
