The 'Boras Five'

[Frayed Knot]

As ST gets going in earnest (as well as in Florida and Arizona) Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Jordon Montgomery, Matt Chapman,
and J.D. Martinez, all clients of one Scott Boras, remain not just unsigned at this late date but seemingly in a rumor free zone
for any imminent signings.

Ya figure something will get done for each before too long but, yaneverknow. S.B. and various GMs could be having a stubborn
contest which could last for ... ?

[Edgy MD]

It's worthwhile instruction to conclude that the belief that all Scott Boras clients will play out their walk year and go to free agency may or may not be true, but it also may or may not break in the client's favor.

If talking to these five won't help move Pete Alonso's case along, I hope he talks to Michael Conforto.

J.D. Martinez is coming off three straight all-star seasons, and the last one is the best. Three more years with modest declines and he's got a strong Hall of Fame case. I hope he finds the right gig.

[nymr83]

Boras gets some big numbers sometimes. If I were an MVP caliber guy I would want him as my agent, if I were middle of the market guy maybe not? Boras also seems to drag guys into spring training or even the season more than anyone else and falls short of what they probably could have gotten in the fall.

Stephen Drew was a pretty bad case I recall specifically - turned down a 14+ mil qualifying offer to eventually sign for 1 year and less money, never got a long term deal after that.

Maybe he just reps the most players so we remember his failures

[nymr83]

Martinez is 36 and a DH only at a time where front offices seem to have devalued the right side of the position spectrum as well as older players. He seems like exactly the type of guy who maximizes his earnings by jumping at an offer in November before it disappears rather than a guy who should be holding out in the spring, because there are plenty of teams who can look at a Blake Snell and decide even now that they NEED him, but most teams probably feel something can be cobbled together at DH if they don't sign a guy and indeed the best plan for the position might be as a rotating "day off" spot for your other good hitters

[MFS62]

1) but most teams probably feel something can be cobbled together at DH if they don't sign a guy and
2) indeed the best plan for the position might be as a rotating "day off" spot for your other good hitters

As for 1 - that reminds me of last year, and cobbling together gave us what we got, nothing to write home about.
As for 2) - that makes a big assumption that you have other good hitters. See #1.


And as for Boras clients, they never seem to sign for bargain prices, no matter how close they get to Spring Training. Boras doesn't let them.
Later

[nymr83]

And as for Boras clients, they never seem to sign for bargain prices, no matter how close they get to Spring Training. Boras doesn't let them.

I don't feel that is true, but it is pretty hard to objectively evaluate because none of us know for sure what is on the table and at what time, except for qualifying offers that are turned down of which there is an official record.

131 qualifying offers have been made since 2012 and only 13 accepted. happily they are broken down here:
https://www.mlb.com/news/history-of-mlb ... pted%20it.

These are the players who might have made a bad decision, in my retroactive opinion (but hey, look at the list yourself and disagree)

Of the 12 "bad decisions" to turn down the qualify offer (out of 118 total rejections) that I identified here, Boras was the agent for 5 of them. That includes 4 of the 6 in the past 7 years.

I mostly gave guys the benefit of the doubt if they signed a 3 year or longer deal that even if they MIGHT have earned more by accepting the Q.O. and negotiating again later, it was reasonably unforeseeable at the time. i criticized 2 year deals where i felt it obvious.

2023
(none yet)

2022 $19.65 million offer
-Nathan Eovoldi (2 years, 34 million) - He had a nice 2023. he easily would have surpassed the 'break even point' if he'd hit FA again this winter with 20 mil in the bank already.

2021 $18.4 million
-Michael Conforto ($0 after offseason injury) - well, that was dumb (Boras Client)

2018 17.9 million
-Dallas Keuchel (1 year, 13 mil) - (Boras Client)

2017 $17.4 million
-Greg Holland (1 year, 13 mil) - (Boras Client)
-Lance Lynn (1 year, 12 miil) -
-Mike Moustakas* (1 year, 6 mil, up to 22 mil with incentives) (Boras Client) he did not reach any of the incentives as far as my googling skills can tell.

2015 $15.8 million
-Ian Desmond (1 year, 8 million)
-Dexter Fowler (1 year, 8 million)
-Hisashi Iwakuma (1 year, 11 million)

2013 $14.1 million
-Nelson Cruz (1 year, 8 million)
-Kendrys Morales (1 year, 7.4 million)
-Stephen Drew (1 year, 10 million) - (Boras Client)



-

[MFS62]

Thank you.
We'll never know what they originally asked for at the start of negotiations VS what the eventually received and, as you said, what they might have received.
Later

[smg58]

Is there a Boras client for whom waiting this long paid off? Stephen Drew waited until midseason and he showed up in no shape to play. His career never recovered. Conforto got hurt before he even had a chance to wait that long. I get the feeling that Boras is determined to test Mark Twain's definition of insanity.

[Benjamin Grimm]

What was it that the Dodgers did with Ohtani, to make it so his contract would come with less of a luxury penalty? I'm wondering if maybe the Mets might be able to sign Montgomery or Snell to a one-year deal with deferred money or something similar, which would prevent the contract from costing the estimated $70 million for 2024.

[Marshmallowmilkshake]

Is there a Boras client for whom waiting this long paid off? Stephen Drew waited until midseason and he showed up in no shape to play. His career never recovered. Conforto got hurt before he even had a chance to wait that long. I get the feeling that Boras is determined to test Mark Twain's definition of insanity.

I think Bryce Harper waited until spring training, thought I don't remember how deep into spring training it was.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He signed with the Phillies on March 2, 2019. (That was a pivotal day in my personal life, it just so happens! And not because of Bryce Harper or the Phiilies.)

[MFS62]

I think the odds of signing one of them is about the same as signing one of the Chicago Seven.
Later

[ashie62]

Screw Boras

[Edgy MD]

I have no notion that all the best players would come to my team if not for Scott Boras. More power to him.

More importantly, more power to his clients.

[metirish]

[Benjamin Grimm]

Twelve days until Opening Day and Snell and Montgomery are still out there.

[Johnny Lunchbucket]

Reports say Astros are taking about Snell.

[metirish]

Snell to the Giants , 2 years $62 million, opt out , Heyman first

[Frayed Knot]

So $31M per year on average.
I wonder if he's still going to claim that 'I ain't makin' shit' as he did during the
pandemic year when he was forced to scrape by on a mere $7.5/per?

[Fman99]

So $31M per year on average.
I wonder if he's still going to claim that 'I ain't makin' shit' as he did during the
pandemic year when he was forced to scrape by on a mere $7.5/per?

Fuck this guy

[Benjamin Grimm]

Wow, $31 million doesn't go nearly as far as it used to.

[MFS62]

Boras is fighting someone who wants to undermine the players' union.
from USA Today via Yahoo (I couldn't find the USA link)
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/agent-scot ... 31562.html

Later

[Edgy MD]

There are competing agenda, but I don't think Marino should be characterized as "undermining the union."

[MFS62]

There are competing agenda, but I don't think Marino should be characterized as "undermining the union."

Boras thinks so. From the article:

That spilled into a war of words Tuesday, in which Boras accused Marino of underhanded tactics that undermined the union’s solidarity.

Later

[Edgy MD]

I read the article.