Toronto Blue Jays centre fielder Colby Rasmus has a new agent. After nearly two years with the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Rasmus became a client of Excel Sports Management and Casey Close during spring training.
“Beverly Hills was good to me, didn’t do anything wrong or anything like that,” Rasmus said. “I just decided to go with Excel.”
Excel represents many prominent MLB players, including Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Clayton Kershaw and Jason Heyward.
Close and Rasmus met this off-season through agent Bobby Barad. Rasmus made it clear that his decision had more to do with his relationship with Excel’s people than with a desire for increased attention.
“I’m not really into a lot of big time stuff,” he said, adding that he has no hard feelings toward his former agency.
Rasmus, who made the change in spring training 2013, will earn $4.675 million in 2013. The 26-year-old will be arbitration eligible one last time during the 2013-14 off-season then hit free agency after the 2014 campaign. He said earlier this week that he aims to produce on both offence and defence this year.
“Just try to find a way to be consistent and just play good baseball,” he said. “I don’t have any numbers set for myself or anything like that. Mostly just try to stay relaxed and not try to do too much, because I know that whenever I try to do too much I’m not very good.”
BHSC represents dozens of MLB players, including Tim Lincecum and Hunter Pence. The agency did not respond to a request for comment.