You’ve probably heard the name Casey Close. Usually, it’s whispered in the same breath as Derek Jeter or mentioned during a heated trade deadline. But if your only memory of him is that weird, messy saga with Freddie Freeman and a certain radio host, you’re missing about 90% of the story.
Honestly, Close is a bit of a ghost in the industry. He isn’t Scott Boras. He doesn’t hold massive press conferences or drop cutesy puns about his clients to the media. He’s the guy who stays in the shadows, making sure the checks have enough zeros to make a banker dizzy.
But staying quiet doesn't mean staying still. From his days as a star at the University of Michigan to co-founding one of the biggest agencies on the planet, Close has basically rewritten the playbook for how a "player-first" agent actually operates.
The Michigan Legend You Didn't Know About
Before he was a suit, Casey Close was a monster on the diamond.
Seriously.
He didn't just play for the Michigan Wolverines; he owned the record books. We're talking about a guy who hit .440 with 19 home runs in a single season. In 1986, he was named the Baseball America National Player of the Year. He was the Big Ten’s best, a first-team All-American, and eventually a Hall of Honor inductee in Ann Arbor.
He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the seventh round. Most people think he just walked into the Yankees front office and started representing stars, but it didn't work like that. Close spent five years grinding in the minor leagues. He hit Triple-A but never got the call to the Show.
That failure—if you can even call it that—is basically his origin story.
He lived the minor league life. He saw the bus rides, the cheap motels, and the way the "business" of baseball can chew up talent. When he finally hung up the cleats, he didn't leave the game; he just changed seats. He started at IMG in 1993, and that’s where he met a young kid named Derek Jeter.
The Jeter Factor and the $189 Million Bet
The relationship between Casey Close and Derek Jeter is arguably the most successful player-agent partnership in sports history.
It wasn't just about the money. It was about the "Brand of Jeter."
Close saw that Jeter wasn't just a shortstop; he was a corporate titan waiting to happen. In 1999, Close took the Yankees to arbitration and won a $5 million salary—a massive number for the time. Then, in 2001, he helped ink the legendary 10-year, $189 million deal.
That contract changed everything. It made Jeter the second-highest-paid player in the sport at the time.
But Close’s real skill showed up when things got ugly. In 2010, when the Yankees tried to play hardball with an aging Jeter, Close didn't blink. He famously called the Yankees' negotiating strategy "baffling" and reminded everyone that Jeter was their "modern-day Babe Ruth." He eventually landed a three-year, $51 million deal when most analysts thought the Yankees had all the leverage.
What Really Happened with Freddie Freeman?
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. The 2022 Freddie Freeman free agency saga was a PR nightmare that would have sunk a lesser agent.
Here’s the breakdown of what actually went down:
- The Rumor: Radio host Doug Gottlieb tweeted that Close never told Freeman about a "final offer" from the Atlanta Braves.
- The Fallout: Fans went wild. Freeman was seen crying in Atlanta, and the narrative was that Close "stole" Freeman away from his home to get a bigger commission in LA.
- The Lawsuit: Close didn't just release a statement; he filed a libel suit. He claimed the Braves were "fostering a narrative" that was flat-out false.
- The Retraction: Gottlieb eventually admitted he got it wrong. He apologized, deleted the tweet, and confessed that Close had, in fact, communicated every offer to Freeman.
Even though Close was legally vindicated, the damage was sort of done in the court of public opinion. Freeman did end up firing Close and moving to a different agency. It was a rare, public bruise for a man who usually operates with surgical precision.
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Excel Sports Management: Building an Empire
In 2011, Close made a power move. He left CAA (Creative Artists Agency) to join forces with Jeff Schwartz and Mark Steinberg at Excel Sports Management.
This wasn't just a job change. It was a merger of titans.
Schwartz had the NBA on lock. Steinberg had Tiger Woods. Close brought the MLB heavyweights. Today, Excel manages billions of dollars in contracts. Close’s personal client list has included names like:
- Clayton Kershaw
- Kyle Schwarber
- George Springer
- Dansby Swanson
- Paul Goldschmidt
- Masahiro Tanaka
He’s the guy who negotiated Zack Greinke’s $206.5 million deal with the Diamondbacks. He helped Clayton Kershaw stay a Dodger for life while getting paid like a king.
Why the "Casey Close Way" Is Different
If Scott Boras is the loud, aggressive trial lawyer of agents, Casey Close is the calm, calculating strategist.
He leans heavily on his "Midwestern values"—a term his former teammate Barry Larkin used to describe him. He doesn't leak every detail to the press to create leverage. He prefers one-on-one conversations and long-term relationships.
He’s also a member of the MLBPA Player Agent Advisory Committee. He’s deeply involved in the labor side of the game, making sure the next generation of players doesn't get screwed by the league's complex service-time rules.
Actionable Insights: Lessons from the Close Playbook
You don't have to be a multi-million dollar athlete to learn from how Close operates. Whether you're a sports fan or a business professional, his career offers a pretty clear blueprint for success.
- Leverage Your Experience: Close wasn't a Major Leaguer, but his time in the minors gave him an "insider" empathy that Ivy League lawyers don't have. Use your "failures" as your unique selling point.
- Defend Your Reputation: When the Gottlieb rumors started, Close didn't wait for them to blow over. He went to court. In a digital world, your reputation is your only real currency.
- Find the Right Partners: Close was successful at IMG and CAA, but he didn't become a mogul until he joined Excel. Success is often about who you're in the room with.
- Know Your Worth (and the Brand): Like he did with Jeter, understand that value isn't just about the "stats" on paper. It’s about the cultural and long-term impact of what you bring to the table.
Casey Close remains one of the most influential figures in baseball because he understands the one thing that never changes: it’s a business, but it’s built on people. Even after the Freeman drama, he’s still the guy the biggest stars in the game call when they want to make sure their future is secure.
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To stay updated on how Close and Excel are navigating the current MLB landscape, you should keep a close eye on the MLBPA's official filings and the annual Forbes "Most Powerful Agents" rankings, where Close consistently remains a top-tier fixture. Check the latest contract structures for his top clients like Kyle Tucker or Cal Raleigh to see how he is adapting to the new "pre-arbitration" bonus pools and shifting luxury tax thresholds.