Scott Boras is easily the most powerful agent in sports, and he routinely squeezes extra dollars out of teams for the players he represents. Because of this, his clientele is vast. In turn, the respective front offices of all 30 Major League Baseball teams are forced to deal with him. No mas, say the Red Sox brass in the wake of losing out on Mark Teixeira. The Sox, meanwhile, are, at least for now, done with Boras. One well-placed source said the club will never deal with him again unless it can be guaranteed that talks are being conducted honestly.My initial reaction was that this is awesome, and I wish more teams would join the fray. The more I think about it, though, we should be on Boras' side.
You heard me.
Look, I hate Boras and his methods as much as the next guy, and I realize -- with the state of the current economy -- how much it angers people to hear about players' gargantuan salaries. What the argument boils down to, however, is who you want to make the money. The money is there. Baseball has a colossal stream of revenue. The players are the ones on the field. They are the product. Would you rather Mark Teixeira get a bigger piece of the money for playing the game, or John Henry keep it all from his cushy sky-box? That's not even a question to me. I will always side with the players over ownership in terms of payroll, because they are the ones actually earning the money.
Scott Boras -- if you can put your hatred aside -- is the best in the business at getting players their maximum share. That means he's a players' guy as well. While I shudder at the fact that I just came to the realization I'm on the same "side" as Boras, it's kind of true.
All that being said, I do wish he went about his business in a more ethical manner. The Red Sox aren't the first to complain about deviant behavior and dishonesty on the part of the uber-agent. There are better ways to get the most money possible for your client than lying to respectable baseball executives.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-11-2009 @ 4:14PM
Walkdaddy said...
Well then let the players own the team. These owners are paying hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. They have every right in the world to make more money than the players.
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1-11-2009 @ 4:35PM
BrendanEff said...
Clearly, that report has little to no substance. Unnamed source saying "no way" to Boras' clients? Something said out of anger, perhaps, but clearly not worthy of any mention. Silly post.
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1-11-2009 @ 4:37PM
Robert said...
Are you kidding me? FIrst off, what lying was done and secondly, who says the baseball executives are all that respected?
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1-11-2009 @ 4:37PM
BrendanEff said...
Even the original article in the Herald points out that this is not believable. Your first paragraph is quite misleading. You write it as if it is fact and a done deal, while your source says no such thing.
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1-11-2009 @ 4:39PM
Matt Snyder said...
Yes, the writer of the article said he doesn't believe it.
His source told him the Red Sox feelings.
I chose to focus on different aspects, but I didn't mislead. The source from the Red Sox definitely said they were not dealing with Boras again. That's post-worthy to me. If you disagree, you are free to not read ... and you are definitely free to not post two comments.
1-11-2009 @ 4:38PM
KPatrick said...
Boras isn't a players' guy. He's a Boras guy.
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1-11-2009 @ 4:40PM
Matt Snyder said...
Touche!
1-11-2009 @ 4:40PM
the cooker said...
That just brings tears to my eyes. Guess who turned Boras into a monster?? The big spending, rich Red Sox and Yanks. The other MLB owners should be saying kiss my a-- to both of them.
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1-12-2009 @ 7:31AM
Michael said...
Do you know why the other teams dont say KISS MY AZZ to the Yankees and Red Sox...its because they spend so much on players which in turn makes them pay a LUXARY TAX that goes to those teams....If it wasnt for those taxes the other teams wouldnt survive !!
1-11-2009 @ 4:46PM
S321Saint said...
A very good point. Since when is it at all FAIR for employees to make comparable salaries to the employer? If you want to make the "big" bucks then BE the employer. You watch the majority of ego driven players who become "employers" and their business tanks. Yes there is lots of money in the sport..and yes the players actually play the game. BUT, the MILLIONS given to players by the same owners DOES give the owner some say in how HIS money is being spent. And I guarantee if an OWNER was found out to be unethical like Boras already has been for quite a while now...you'd have law suits against the owner. But player's greedy ego and their filthy agents are allowed to cheat?
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1-11-2009 @ 4:46PM
S321Saint said...
Another comment, liberals and other pro-union-socialists have a skewed idea when it comes to business ethics. They believe that agents and players are free to be as unethical as they can get away with because of the "billions" being made by the owners. They have those "billions" because they are OWNERS. If players want to make as much as the owners...BECOME one...learn to make REAL business decisions not whether or not you visit which strip club with which part of your posse. Boras' (and other agents) power wouldn't be as strong if owners were allowed to have rights normally accorded business owners. Earth to players (and Boras)...you are the EMPLOYEES....
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1-13-2009 @ 12:12PM
Byrman223 said...
Saint give me a break what baseball calls a union is a joke. In baseball it is every man for himself . unions bargain contracts for the whole body not for single person . So calling what baseball has a union is a farce If u want to spew your right leaning republican bull go to a political blog
1-11-2009 @ 5:09PM
DPATTERSON said...
Oh, by the way look at success owners Michael something or other, Isaiah 'loser' thomas, not to mention all the ex footballers in every league. If it weren't for all the 'bullshit' endorsements these genious players got they wouldn't think that they are better than the owners. In all of this crap it's the fans that are getting 'screwed', you can no longer look for your favorite stars on your team uniforms for more than 1, maybe 2 years-then you can expect them to be Yankees or 'Bean boys"
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1-11-2009 @ 5:17PM
dave said...
really when you think about it, the fans make the game and we are getting squeezed from both sides!
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1-11-2009 @ 5:20PM
sam said...
Players are not the game, there would be NO GAME without people risking money so these guys could become the pampered millionaires they are. Owners, communities and fans are the game not the players. I love the it wasn't the money thing that all athletes say when they sign a big dea. Texeria is now the 4th highest paid player in a sport when he is not even the 4th best player at his position. Struggles in pressure situations, only good thing is he will be another bust in New York.
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1-11-2009 @ 5:25PM
john myers said...
THE OWNERS TAKE ALL THE RISK
THE OWNERS GUARANTEE THEY'LL PAY THE MONEY.
THE PLAYERS ONLY GUARANTEE THEY'LL CASH THE CHECKS.
PLAYERS NEVER GUARANTEE PERFORMANCE.
LOOK AT THE YANKS & CARL PAVANO. THE YANKS GUARANTEED $40 MILLION AND PAVANO CAME THRU WITH 6 WINS OVER 4 YEARS.
TEIXEIRA SIGNED FOR $180 MILLION FOR 8 YEARS.
HE MIGHT HIT 40 HOMERS OR HE MIGHT HIT 14, BUT HE'LL STILL CASH THE CHECKS.
I USED TO SEE DOUBLE HEADERS AT YANKEE STADIUM IN THE 1960'S AT $1.50 FOR LOWER RIGHT FIELD SEATS.
NOW THE SAME SEATS ARE $50 BUCKS FOR 1 GAME.
THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN UNIONS GET THEIR HANDS ON A GIVEN INDUSTRY ,HIGHER COSTS & LOWER PRODUCTIVITY.
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1-16-2009 @ 10:47AM
gd said...
Amen brother
1-11-2009 @ 6:10PM
Jeff said...
How many times do you see pro players want to renegotiate their contract upward when they have exceptional years? The players would have more credibility in my view, if they would renegotiate downward when they have bad years. That NEVER happens!
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1-11-2009 @ 6:20PM
David Wilson said...
The cooker got it right. The Red Sox and the Yankees are both guilty for creating this monster. Bring on a salary cap for the fans benefit, not the players or the owners
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1-11-2009 @ 6:27PM
Earl said...
John Meyers saib it all! At one time a player was proud and happy to give you his autograph, now you pay except at special events. Sports is no longer affordable to the average family. I wonder why.
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