Exposing Boros

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Why is Boras a problem? He works for the players to get as much money as they can. And if he wasn't working in the best interests of the players he wouldn't have a job.

The 2 statements aren't necessarily true or mutually linked.Yes he tries & to get the player MOST money but not because he is an altruist but because it gets him the most money.

Also,the most money IS not always the best deal for the player - as some players,do have a moral fibre or other needs ABOVE top dollar,eg the need to "win championships",to play on a competitive team or in a "family" environment.He plays CASH always over the Secondary motivations WHICH sometimes back fires & costs his players' longterm.

2 examples come to mind - 1 is the Texas deal of A-Rod (coupled with the Yankee opt out) & the Alvarez - Pittsburgh deal.Both those players' have suffered LONG TERM from Boras's methods.A-Rod was even forced to fire Boras & do his own work to get a new deal (& the Texas deal was great financially but a disaster to his WS aspirations) & Alvarez is already being labeled as an "anti-Pirate" even before he has had 1 AB!

I think he takes a lot of crap that should fall to the player - it is very easy for the player to pretend that he doesn't understand anything and that all decisions surrounding their career are made by Boras. But they aren't. Or at least if they are then that is the player's fault and not his. If Manny ends up making less out of this situation then he would have staying in Boston then he made a mistake. Boras didn't make a mistake - Manny did. Boras isn't ruining baseball - he isn't even a problem. The owners have no one other than themselves to blame if they pay people too much money. And if the players prefer to stay with a single team out of loyalty for less money then they have the power to do it. The fact that they don't care what team they play for is not the result of Scott Boras.

On these points I agree entirely & Boras does take the "flak" where sometimes he DOESNT DESERVE IT.But as I said he is an agent & happily will take his 10%....

[filihok]

If I were a player though, I'd certainly want him at my side while sitting at the negotiation table though...

Not me.

I'd negotiate my own contract. I realize it's probably costing me some money, but at least I wouldn't feel like I was whoring myself out to both the team AND my agent. Plus, I've never really been the cutthroat grab every possible nickel and dime available type of guy.

I always thought if I were "earning" some millions of dollars a year I'd take maybe a couple of hundreds of thousands as a salary and philanth the rest out to people who need it more than I do.

Too bad I can't even find a minimum wage job here in Svierge

[FRENCHREDSOX]

Not me.

I'd negotiate my own contract. I realize it's probably costing me some money, but at least I wouldn't feel like I was whoring myself out to both the team AND my agent. Plus, I've never really been the cutthroat grab every possible nickel and dime available type of guy.

I always thought if I were "earning" some millions of dollars a year I'd take maybe a couple of hundreds of thousands as a salary and philanth the rest out to people who need it more than I do.

Too bad I can't even find a minimum wage job here in Svierge

Very altruistic of you - but unfortunately NO player would be. On Sverige well at least you have all the welfare aids at your disposal - one of the advantages of living in the highest taxed country in Europe

[kenny1234]

The 2 statements aren't necessarily true or mutually linked.Yes he tries & to get the player MOST money but not because he is an altruist but because it gets him the most money.

I didn't mean to imply that he was an altruist - the incentives are there for him to get the most money for the player - though there are problems in the case of opting out of contracts.

Also,the most money IS not always the best deal for the player - as some players,do have a moral fibre or other needs ABOVE top dollar,eg the need to "win championships",to play on a competitive team or in a "family" environment.He plays CASH always over the Secondary motivations WHICH sometimes back fires & costs his players' longterm.

I agree - but if Boras isn't negotiating over the terms that the player wants then he should fire Boras. If A-Rod always wanted to be a Yankee and Boras was trying to get him out of New York - then don't hire Boras as an agent. If Manny always wanted to be in Boston, and Boras doesn't get paid unless he opts out - then why hire Boras. This is exactly where I think Boras takes the flak for the player wanting more money. The player gets to blame Boras for choosing money over loyalty, winning or anything else - because of course those things are the most important issues to the player.

2 examples come to mind - 1 is the Texas deal of A-Rod (coupled with the Yankee opt out) & the Alvarez - Pittsburgh deal.Both those players' have suffered LONG TERM from Boras's methods.A-Rod was even forced to fire Boras & do his own work to get a new deal (& the Texas deal was great financially but a disaster to his WS aspirations) & Alvarez is already being labeled as an "anti-Pirate" even before he has had 1 AB!

First, A-Rod might have lost - but it would take a lot to convince me that Boras was the reason. I think that they gambled on the market paying him more than he ended up getting - but I'm pretty sure A-Rod was part of the negotiations. They gambled and lost - most of Boras' players have done pretty well (Zito comes to mind) - so he (A-Rod) probably thought it was worth the chance.

Second, we have no idea if Alvarez will lose long-term. Maybe he is a player that wants to be part of a winning team and the best thing that could happen to him is to go back in the draft. Maybe he wants to have this deal signed, maybe he doesn't. I'm guessing that if he wants to be a Pirate under this deal all he has to do is come out publicly and say that everything is a misunderstanding and he has always wanted to be a Pirate. He can even blame Boras for screwing everything up. The fact that he hasn't done that implies that he doesn't disagree with what is going on. Will it work out for him - who knows? But blaming Boras for the player's decision seems wrong to me.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Honestly all party's are to blame to me EXCEPT the players.

Which one of you, if given the opportunity, would not go into your boss if you were a contracted employee and ask for more $ or you were going to a competator???

Falults
Owners, for not saying no... **** collusion... just say we don't the player is worth that.
Agents, honestly keep the players INTRESTS not just there wallets in your mind when negotiating
Fans... if we dont buy tickets... they cnt pay players

[filihok]

Honestly all party's are to blame to me EXCEPT the players.

Which one of you, if given the opportunity, would not go into your boss if you were a contracted employee and ask for more $ or you were going to a competator???

Me. I've taken lesser paying jobs because of other types of benefits plenty of times.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Me. I've taken lesser paying jobs because of other types of benefits plenty of times.

what type of benefits tho?

[metsguy234]

I dislike Scott Boras greatly and I think he's ruining the sport of baseball....

[filihok]

what type of benefits tho?

Not THOSE types of benefits. I'm not talking 401(k), health insurance...

Closer to my house. A job that I liked better.

I'm not faulting the players. If if doesn't matter to dude if he plays in New York city or Seattle and he can get an extra million a year, good for him.

I'm not faulting the agents. If you're hired to get your guy the most money that you can, that's your job.

I'm not faulting the owners. If they can afford a $150 mil a year payroll expense, good for them.

But, as I always do, I'd like to see things evened out a bit more. More revenue sharing. More luxury tax. As anyone who plays 5 or more seasons of baseball mogul knows its good to have some semblance of parity in the league.

[TheNamelessPoet]

Not THOSE types of benefits. I'm not talking 401(k), health insurance...

Closer to my house. A job that I liked better.

I'm not faulting the players. If if doesn't matter to dude if he plays in New York city or Seattle and he can get an extra million a year, good for him.

I'm not faulting the agents. If you're hired to get your guy the most money that you can, that's your job.

I'm not faulting the owners. If they can afford a $150 mil a year payroll expense, good for them.

But, as I always do, I'd like to see things evened out a bit more. More revenue sharing. More luxury tax. As anyone who plays 5 or more seasons of baseball mogul knows its good to have some semblance of parity in the league.

agreed

[michaelg123789]

yeah that's alot of money

[HoustonGM]

I dislike Scott Boras greatly and I think he's ruining the sport of baseball....

Prove it.

I don't know how you can possibly say that he's ruining baseball given that attendence and revenue is constantly getting higher.

[metsguy234]

Prove it.

I don't know how you can possibly say that he's ruining baseball given that attendence and revenue is constantly getting higher.

But he's making the game all about the money...

[HoustonGM]

But he's making the game all about the money...

How?

He's getting the most money for the players that employ him.

Why is it so hard to understand that if he wasn't getting more money for the players, that money would just be in the pockets of the owners instead?

[FRENCHREDSOX]

we have no idea if Alvarez will lose long-term. Maybe he is a player that wants to be part of a winning team and the best thing that could happen to him is to go back in the draft. Maybe he wants to have this deal signed, maybe he doesn't. I'm guessing that if he wants to be a Pirate under this deal all he has to do is come out publicly and say that everything is a misunderstanding and he has always wanted to be a Pirate. He can even blame Boras for screwing everything up. The fact that he hasn't done that implies that he doesn't disagree with what is going on. Will it work out for him - who knows? But blaming Boras for the player's decision seems wrong to me.

He has ALREADY lost "long term" as the whole business has estranged him from his Boss (who was the one who wanted to go to an arbitrator!).Don't know about you,but riling your Boss even before you have played 1 game & AFTER you have signed what both sides considered a legal & binding deal bodes no good for the future,in my book.....also all the publicity has "worsened" his image & will be a factor in relations with coaches,co-players & even fans - so for 350K ,THE ACTUAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 2 DEALS, Alvarez a 20 -something kid ADVISED by Mr Boras has possibly planted a cause of internal team strife.

I am not saying,it will be,but considering that he is Pirates' property for 6 years (unless traded post '09) it is a un-needed risk which concerns Alvarez directly but not Boras.

Unlike A-Rod,who was in his "opt" out year (or Manny for that matter) Alvarez's risk was important.He hasn't as yet had a 100+ million deal nor a CV of MLB AB's to point to....he is "untested" & with the attrition of prospects "make up" is also part of the value of a player.

Again,sometimes a player wants more than top $ & it seems that Boras rarely takes that into consideration - an agent's role,IMO,is to AID the player & get him WHAT he desires - be it money,championships or even family stability - all I said is it SEEMS that Boras sometimes doesn't take into account secondary needs which usually parlay into "hometown" discounts...