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Main League Baseball agent Scott Boras has been at or close to the highest of his sport for a very long time. Practically simply as lengthy, he is been probably the most polarizing agent within the enterprise.
In mild of some issues which have transpired in recent times, there’s been a whole lot of speak going each methods on Boras. On one facet, there’s the entire, “Boras has misplaced his contact and is costing his shoppers cash” crowd. This sort of response is all the time met with a gaggle of individuals mentioning a few of his greatest wins.
The reality, as so usually occurs, lies within the center, however — imagine it or not — it is a lot nearer to Boras nonetheless being on high of his sport. Let’s focus on that right here. We’ll persist with the final two offseasons, as a result of the people who find themselves saying he isn’t having the success he has prior to now are speaking about 2024-25 free agent lessons, by and huge.
And there are definitely some contracts we’ve to file within the loss column for Boras. We’ll begin with these earlier than attending to his wins.
Losses
Pete Alonso – Alonso reportedly turned down a seven-year, $158 million extension supply from the Mets throughout the 2023 season that will have coated 2024 with $20.5 million and left six years and $137.5 million shifting ahead. Reviews indicated the Mets provided Alonso three years and one thing within the ballpark of $68 million-$70 million in early January. Alonso ended up signing with the Mets for 2 years and $54 million final week.
The individuals who do not like Boras had been throughout this one. It does seem like an enormous loss for Alonso, however understand that the slugger did not rent Boras till after turning down that seven-year extension supply. He was beforehand with Apex Baseball.
Alex Bregman? Bregman reportedly turned down a six-year, $156 million supply from the Astros. He is nonetheless a free agent and the market appears to be dwindling. A few of the groups rumored to nonetheless be concerned in talks with Bregman would very doubtless want him to signal a one- or two-year deal. We nonetheless do not understand how it may end up, but it surely certain is beginning to seem like Bregman ought to’ve taken that preliminary supply from the Astros.
We’ll see, however the Boras naysayers are already utilizing Bregman’s free company as materials for his or her arguments.
Blake Snell, Half I – Coming off the second Cy Younger award of his profession, Snell hit free company after the 2023 season. Early within the offseason, Snell reportedly turned down a six-year, $150 million supply from the Yankees. The Yankees then moved on fairly than persevering with to pursue him. Snell’s free company lingered into mid-March earlier than he finally signed a two-year, $62 million cope with the Giants that included an opt-out clause after the primary yr.
Matt Chapman, Half I – There have been stories that Chapman turned down an extension price north of $100 million from the Blue Jays earlier than hitting free company. Like Snell, Chapman’s free company lasted till March. He lastly ended up signing a three-year, $54 million cope with the Giants.
Noticing a theme? There are extra.
Cody Bellinger – After betting on himself with a one-year deal for the Cubs in 2023, Bellinger ought to have gained that wager, ending tenth in NL MVP voting. He was searching for a long-term deal final offseason. As a substitute, he went again to the Cubs on a three-year, $80 million deal that included opt-out clauses after every year. He didn’t choose out after his 2024 marketing campaign and the Cubs salary-dumped him to the Yankees shortly thereafter.
Jordan Montgomery – The large lefty was big for the Rangers down the stretch in 2023 and threw principally like an ace within the playoffs as they gained their first-ever World Collection. Montgomery and Boras had been stated to be in search of no less than a six-year deal. As a substitute, the southpaw signed a one-year, $25 million cope with an possibility for 2026 on March 26. The deal has been a catastrophe to the purpose that the D-backs do not seem to have plans to make use of him within the rotation in 2026. Montgomery has since fired his agent and has publicly stated that Boras “butchered” his free company.
Gerrit Cole? It is troublesome to pin this one down, but it surely definitely seemed like Boras and Cole made a mistake — it was simply that the Yankees allowed them to backtrack. Shortly after the World Collection, Cole opted out of the remaining 4 years and $144 million remaining on his contract. Two days later, the previous Cy Younger winner and the Yankees agreed to maintain him round with the identical contract as an alternative of doing the entire opt-out factor.
What occurred there’s robust to say, however to some it appeared that Boras drastically over-estimated the marketplace for Cole and needed to come crawling again to the Yankees and say one thing alongside the traces of, “hey, wouldn’t it be OK if we simply stated ‘by no means thoughts’ and acted like this all by no means occurred?”
It is laborious to name it an enormous loss, provided that there was no actual hurt executed to Cole.
Wins
Juan Soto – Shattering the earlier document, Soto walked away from this offseason with a 15-year, $765 million contract. That is a monster win.
Naysayers will say this was all Soto and, frankly, it is laborious to argue that different brokers couldn’t have gotten a giant win with Soto, below the circumstances. We’re speaking a few traditionally nice expertise hitting free company at age 26 whereas two New York groups desperately wished him and the Dodgers had been there to ratchet up the bidding. However, is not it awfully handy to dismiss Boras’ greatest win ever?
Corbin Burnes – The 2021 Cy Younger winner has seen his strikeout fee fall every of the final 4 years. Plus, the Diamondbacks had been burned by Montgomery within the aforementioned deal. Boras nonetheless received a six-year, $210 million deal from them for Burnes. That is a simple win.
Matt Chapman, Half II – Hey, keep in mind how Chapman needed to accept that Giants deal we listed above? Yeah, he received a six-year, $151 million extension in early September that very same yr. You possibly can take that Boras “L” above and flip it to a “W.”
Blake Snell, Half II – This is one other one you possibly can flip to a win for Boras. Snell opted out of his Giants deal after one yr after which landed a five-year, $182 million pact with the World Collection champion Dodgers. Snell made $32 million in 2024, so let’s circle again to that deal he turned down final offseason that was six years and $150 million. Lump the Giants yr with the Dodgers deal and that is $214 million over six years.
Yusei Kikuchi – The lefty will likely be 34 years outdated subsequent season and sports activities a profession 4.57 ERA stateside. He closed the season with a 2.70 ERA in 10 begins for the Astros after which received a three-year, $63 million deal from the Angels, barely above what most projected he’d get.
Sean Manaea – The left-hander had one yr and $13.5 million left on his cope with the Mets and opted out, making himself a free agent heading into this offseason. He additionally turned down the one-year, $21.05 million qualifying supply. He ended up getting three years and $75 million from the Mets to remain put.
Tyler O’Neill – The slugging outfielder additionally exceeded projections with a three-year, $49.5 million deal from the normally frugal Orioles’ entrance workplace. He made $5.85 million in 2024.
Matthew Boyd – Now 34 years outdated with a fairly sizeable damage historical past and 4.85 profession ERA, Boyd signed a two-year, $29 million cope with the Cubs, barely exceeding projections.
Ha-Seong Kim – Coming off main shoulder surgical procedure in October, most anticipated the shortstop would wish to signal a one-year deal to rebuild his worth. As a substitute, he received two years and $29 million from the Rays.
What do you assume? Has he misplaced his capacity to return by means of for his shoppers or have there been only a few high-profile misses that may’ve occurred to any agent? In sorting by means of all of it, I am inclined to imagine it is the latter.
