New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez—the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball—has taken yet another step in distancing himself from mega-agent Scott Boras. Perhaps realizing that having the most hated man in sports represent you is not the best way to repair your image in a city that already thinks you're a greedy bastard, Rodriquez has signed a management deal with Maverick Records CEO Guy Oseary.

It is the first athlete signing for Oseary, who, in addition to his record label duties, is also the personal manager of Madonna, David Blaine, and Lenny Kravitz.

During the fourth game of the past World Series, it was announced that Rodriguez would be opting out of his existing contract, a move that received an enormous amount of public ridicule for its timing and led nearly every sports fan and writer to refer to him as either "Pay-Rod" or "Gay-Rod." (He claims to have been as shocked as anyone at the timing of the announcement, which seems, shall we say, unlikely.) After heeding the advice of good pal and investment maven Warren Buffett, Rodriguez froze Boras out of the negotiating room and went instead with two Goldman Sachs managing directors. However, it is believed by most that Boras actually was involved in the negotiations and that Rodriguez is simply claiming he wasn't as a public relations maneuver—again, because Rodriguez is widely and accurately perceived to be a transparent phony.

His re-worked 10-year deal is worth $275 million, with a $30 million bonus thrown in if he breaks Barry Bonds's steroid-tainted home-run record. Boras was paid his 5 percent.

On 60 Minutes this past Sunday, A-Rod told Katie Couric that the Boras situation "saddens" him, and that the two are not currently speaking—but that he plans on keeping Boras on board as his agent. The Oseary deal may be the best way for A-Rod to keep Boras out of the public picture, while still dealing with him on the side.