Jay Z has 99 problems and the Major League Baseball Players Association is one of them.
The music mogul is being investigated by the MLBPA for possibly violating agent rules for giving a watch to his client, Robinson Cano. The Yankees second baseman, who dumped Scott Boras to join Jay Z’s new agency, Roc Nation Sports in April, becoming his first MLB client, received a a limited-edition $33,900 watch allegedly from his agent during his 31st birthday party in Belgium, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick.
Cano even put the gift made of 18k yellow gold up on Instagram, thanking Roc Nation specifically for the special present. But, according to Section 5(B)(5)(a) of the Players Association, “No Player Agent or Applicant shall provide, cause to be provided or promise to provide, any money or any other thing of value to any player, or any person related to or associated with such player, the purpose of which is to induce or encourage such player to use or continue to use any person’s or firm’s services as a Player Agent, Representative, or Draft Advisor.”
There is a loophole, however, that allows players who are already represented by the agent to receive gifts from them — but those that exceed $500 must be communicated to the union in writing.
If Jay Z is found to be in violation of the rules, Crasnick reports that he could be subject to “unspecified discipline.”
Check out the watch that Jay Z helped design in Cano’s posting below.
