As Agent Scott Boras continues to develop his over bearing reputation with his players currently in the league, many are beginning to wonder if he is really painting the wrong image for his clients!
In an article written by ESPN’s Peter Gammons, Gammons describes the Manny Ramirez standoff and the pressure that Manny’s agent Boras has been inflicting on the Dodgers. According to Gammons, The L.A. scouting department has been told it will not draft Boras clients come June. If that statement alone does not speak voluble measures, I am not sure what does.
If you know anything about baseball you’ve heard the name Scott Boras. Boras has managed and represented more than a few of the highest paid players in Major League Baseball. A few names to mention include Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Lowe, Carlos Beltran, Barry Zito, and of course Manny Ramirez.
As one of the most epic offseasons in baseball history begins to wind to a close, Boras has definitely set a “higher than high” profile for his clients. Some like the L.A. Scouting Department would say too high! In the month of January alone, the infamous agent has signed Derek Lowe with the Braves, Jason Varitek to the Red Sox, and probably the most notable- Mark Texieira to the Yankees with a deal worth an estimated $180MM. No joke, he knows how to get it done, at least for now.
Ok, enough with the stats that we already know. How about something we don’t know? Will teams begin to say “no” to the players associated with Boras? Teams will be certained to hesitate, but completely avoiding Boras clients may be a tad bit impossible! Here’s why.
MLBTR’s has kept a current list of all the players involved with Scott Boras. He is currently employed by “count em” 90 players currently in Major League Baseball. Just in case you were wondering, that’s an average of 3 players per team! With future 2009 MLB prospects like Stephen Strasburg, Andy Oliver, Donovan Tate, Grant Green, Dustin Ackley, Kentrail Davis, and Jacob Turner already beginning to utilize Boras’ services, the list will only continue to grow along with the pressure that ball clubs will face by dealing with the “tyrant” and his tyrantees.
There is no question that teams will try to avoid Boras as much as they can, especially with the troubled economy that only looks to be getting progressively worse. Not only will team officials need to weigh talent vs. dollars, they will also need to take into consideration what the future will hold for that particular Boras player. Teams will either “break the bank” or send their talent packing when it comes time to negotiate. Not exactly a solid investment.
Just ask the Dodgers, they know exactly what I mean.
Ha – the 2004 Padres wouldnt deal with Boras and passed on Stephen Drew, Verlander and Jered Weaver in favor of Matt Bush – just released from the organization. Teams can avoid Boras at their own peril. Check out my post “I’ve Even Heard 103″ at Boras Blog – I make fun of exactly this strategy.
exactly my point