Marc Anthony moves into sports management with Aroldis Chapman

Marc Lancaster

Marc Anthony moves into sports management with Aroldis Chapman image

Latin music superstar Marc Anthony is following in Jay Z's footsteps by moving into sports management, and his first client is a hot one.

Reds closer Aroldis Chapman, one of the most coveted names on the MLB trade market this winter, has signed on to be represented by Magnus Sports, a division of Anthony's Magnus Media.

MORE: Seven possible trade destinations for Aroldis Chapman

Longtime baseball agents Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro will handle the sports side of Chapman's representation, while Magnus will focus on the marketing.

"Baseball, like music, is an ingrained cultural passion for many Latinos throughout the world, and there's no shortage of amazing stars of Hispanic origin," Anthony said in a release. "Despite that, until now there hasn't been an enterprise specifically designed to meet their needs. With Magnus Sports, we are changing the existing dynamics and building a new kind of management company that understands the culture and knows how to build big media brands.

"Beyond the cultural connection, social media is also bringing fans closer to their heroes than ever before. That means that athletes, like other entertainers, need management that can help them with both managing their career and building their brand. We are honored to have the opportunity to begin this venture with a prominent talent like Aroldis."

Chapman, who turns 28 in February, is widely expected to be traded by Cincinnati this offseason. The flame-throwing reliever is eligible for arbitration this winter and will get a significant raise from the $8.05 million he made in 2015.

The Cuba native has been an All-Star each of the last four seasons, averaging 36.3 saves per year in that span. He posted a 1.63 ERA in 65 appearances this past season, striking out 116 in 66 1/3 innings.

Marc Lancaster

Marc Lancaster Photo

Marc Lancaster joined The Sporting News in 2022 after working closely with TSN for five years as an editor for the company now known as Stats Perform. He previously worked as an editor at The Washington Times, AOL’s FanHouse.com and the old CNNSportsIllustrated.com, and as a beat writer covering the Tampa Bay Rays, Cincinnati Reds, and University of Georgia football and women’s basketball. A Georgia graduate, he has been a Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2013.