Could Boras finally have hit a wall?

[albertajaysfan]

Three high profile free agents left on the market that are all Boras clients. (Soriano, Lohse and Bourn)

What happens if they sign short term deals that come nowhere close to their initial demands? Does Boras lose clients or at the very least his lustre thus his grasp on so many high profile players?

But here is the final question. Would this be good for the game of baseball overall?

[Pinstripe power]

scott boras is the devil!

[OneTuzSea]

Not that I think it's going to happen, but how exactly would Scott Boras losing clients be good for the game of baseball?

[Twitchy]

Got more to do with the team that signs them losing a pick than anything else.

[bfrap]

Scott Boras is known for holding out until the last moment. Not the first time (in the last 5 years) that he has had 3 higher level players still on the market in mid January.

I think he will regret the Soriano opt out/not taking the qualifying offer. We shall see on the other two.

[doyerfan59]

Idk, I feel like every year people question if Boras is gonna have a bad offseason and then he proves them wrong. No matter what, he is still the best in the business and pretty amazing.

[Pinstripe power]

Scott Boras is known for holding out until the last moment. Not the first time (in the last 5 years) that he has had 3 higher level players still on the market in mid January.

I think he will regret the Soriano opt out/not taking the qualifying offer. We shall see on the other two.

he will. i said it was a mistake when he opted out. if the yankees offer was far and away the ebst offer with him coming off a better year 2 years younger, why would he expected more now?

[2009mvp]

Is there a rule preventing a wink-wink agreement for Soriano to have accepted the qualifying offer from the Yankees on the condition that they trade him immediately? I think that's exactly what happened to him going from Atlanta to Tampa a few years back, but that was under the old system. Seems really unfair for relievers in this situation, it's either take the offer and you're stuck with one team (in this case, where the closer role is already filled) or hit the market and get totally lowballed because of the draft pick compensation you're saddled with.

[theslick1]

Is there a rule preventing a wink-wink agreement for Soriano to have accepted the qualifying offer from the Yankees on the condition that they trade him immediately? I think that's exactly what happened to him going from Atlanta to Tampa a few years back, but that was under the old system. Seems really unfair for relievers in this situation, it's either take the offer and you're stuck with one team (in this case, where the closer role is already filled) or hit the market and get totally lowballed because of the draft pick compensation you're saddled with.

They didn't make him a qualifying offer. He was already under contract. He exercised an opt out provision to become a free agent.

[Pinstripe power]

Is there a rule preventing a wink-wink agreement for Soriano to have accepted the qualifying offer from the Yankees on the condition that they trade him immediately? I think that's exactly what happened to him going from Atlanta to Tampa a few years back, but that was under the old system. Seems really unfair for relievers in this situation, it's either take the offer and you're stuck with one team (in this case, where the closer role is already filled) or hit the market and get totally lowballed because of the draft pick compensation you're saddled with.

yea that really sucks getting paid 12 million dollars to be the set up man................



he made his bed, time to sleep in it

[Cursed Rangers]

I would love to see Boras disappear from baseball.

[albertajaysfan]

Got more to do with the team that signs them losing a pick than anything else.

I definitely think that is the driving force as well. But I am curious if there will be a ripple effect because of it.

I also agree that the Boras has shown he is a magician. But look at the teams that normally do business with him. Do any of them really have a need to overspend on any of these players?

Both Detroit and Washington have no real pressing need for any of these players. New York is being thrifty. The Dodgers are spending like drunken sailors but that spending is over for now, especially for the positions these players would fill.

As for Boras losing clients. Failing one client and having them sign a one year deal is one thing. Doing it with three clients all who should have received fairly lucrative deals if they just had of been reasonable in their negotiations with their former teams.

The Soriano case is especially damning because he was already under contract on a very good deal. And really if he had been patient he could have been the replacement after Rivera's eventually retirement. Who do you think gave him the idea? Seems like a fairly easy connection to make pointing to Boras.

As for my question about him losing clients. It may not be an avalanche but rather a slow bleed. Up coming players no longer looking at being a magician but rather someone whose greed could actually impede their long term security by having to high an asking price making them unattractive to teams to plan around.

Of course this could all drastically change if one of those three leaves Boras during 2013.

In the end who is that is getting screwed here? It is the players and as much as the new draft pick compensation is to blame there is nothing to be done about that until this CBA is up for renewal.

It may take a few off seasons for this to pan out but perhaps this is the beginning of the end for him as much a mover and shaker in the MLB. Personally I think it would be a good for the game. The less greed overall in the game the better because we as fans would be the ones to benefit in that scenario.

[Dugmet]

Got more to do with the team that signs them losing a pick than anything else.

Certainly. But the top ten picks are still protected. One of those teams could sign Lohse, Bourne, Soriano without losing their top-ten pick.

As for other teams, they might be reluctant to give up the pick for more reasons than the loss of the pick itself. Previously, if a team gave up a pick they still had the option of potentially selecting a player in a later round, and showing him the money. The problem now is that draft pool budgets are set, and monies allocated based on slot. If you give up a #1 pick, you also give up a significant amount of your budget to sign draftees.

[scottythegreat1]

Scott Boras is known for holding out until the last moment. Not the first time (in the last 5 years) that he has had 3 higher level players still on the market in mid January.

I think he will regret the Soriano opt out/not taking the qualifying offer. We shall see on the other two.

I remember how Prince Fielder was on the market until the last minute and went to the last team I thought would be interested in him (Detroit).

[Lloyd Christmas]

I would love to see Boras get black listed by all GM's.