Think what you want of Scott Boras, but he gets his job done. Better than anyone else in his industry.
He always gets top-dollar for his clients, and in the case of Matt Holliday’s recent signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, Boras has elevated his status to another level.
Not only did Holliday’s contract blow away Jason Bay’s—who you could argue is the better player of the two biggest free agent outfielders of this off-season—but in the end, Holliday finds himself in a much better situation than Bay.
Bay is certainly getting paid, having signed a $66 million, four-year deal with the Mets. While he’s getting close to top-dollar, he’s also now playing for a team that lost 92 games in 2009.
Over in St. Louis, Boras landed Holliday a seven-year deal for $120 million with the Cards, a team that typically doesn’t delve deep into its pockets for free agents.
In the end, both Bay and Holliday will be making comparable money on a yearly basis: Bay at about $16.5 million per year, Holliday at about $17 million per year.
Boras’ super agent ability is what makes the real difference though. Bay will be playing for a struggling franchise trying to rebound from a dismal season, while Holliday finds himself returning to a team that just came off a playoff run and has a very good chance to return to the playoffs in 2010. Not to mention the fact that Holliday finds himself in the same lineup as Albert Pujols, and the reality that St. Louis is a much more relaxed playing atmosphere than New York.
Who has the better chance of bringing home a World Series Championship during the life of their new contract? That’s a no-brainer.
Looking beyond fiscal numbers, there’s no doubt Boras got Holliday the best deal possible.
We all know Boras always seeks top-dollar for his clients, regardless of where that money comes from. But with the Holliday deal, Boras has achieved perfection. He placed his client in the best possible atmosphere and earned him the biggest paycheck, and that’s never easy when you’re looking for top-dollar in the major leagues.
Filed in: MLB.
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I suppose I can’t blame Scott Boras for getting the most for his clients. What I wonder is why teams deal with him. Surely a great team could be put on the field without any Boras-managed clients. Didn’t the O’s do that for a while, if coincidentally?
Dear Bill:
As a sports commentator,I would like your opinion on Ryne Sandberg’s future managing the Chicago Cubs. He has had success managing in the minor leagues and has moved from A ball, AA ball now moving to Des Moines to AAA ball this spring. We are very excited to have him come to the Iowa Cubs and look for him to putting people in the stands not only with successful baseball but because people will have a chance to see a Hall of Fame player manage their ball club. On the blogs that I participate in through the Chicago Cubs, there are so many nay-sayers who are not as optimistic as I am about having him move to the major league managing position with the Cubs, feeling that if he is not successful, he will be booed out of Wrigley (they can be rather hard on players and managers in Chicago). But I think it would be like Cal being booed at Camden Yard; it just wouldn’t happen. People respect Ryne for his gentlemanly way and kindness to his fans. I know they would never boo Earnie Banks, Billy Williams or Ron Santos and I don’t think they would do that to Ryno. I really believe with a couple of more years under his belt managing in the minor leagues, he will take the Cubs by storm. Please tell me what you think.