SAN DIEGO—One of the highlights of the Winter Meetings is the annual Scott Boras media availability, which usually occurs on Wednesday. The scrum was moved up a day because of the robust market for pitcher Gerrit Cole, whom the super agent represents. Boras also represents pitcher Stephen Strasburg, who re-signed with the Washington Nationals Monday, and third baseman Anthony Rendon.
For the first time, Boras was speaking in front of a backdrop that bore his company’s logo and was peppered with questions on the top free agents.
Boras also represents Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. A year ago in Las Vegas, Boras expressed hope that Davis would improve on his disappointing 2018 when he hit just .168 and struck out 192 times in 128 games.
Davis began the 2019 season 0-for-33 to extend his hitless streak to 54 at-bats going back to September 2018. He ended the year with a .179 average with 12 home runs and 36 RBIs in 105 games.
“I’m always concerned when a player’s not performing to the level of his ability,” Boras said. “I’ve already had talks with the organization and levels of my staff have had talks with the organization. We’ve been in communication with CD. Always trying to garner an approach and an improvement of his performance.”
Davis has three years left on his seven-year, $161 million contract. He’s owed $93 million, including deferred money.
Cafardo gets a worthy honor: Nick Cafardo, the longtime baseball writer for The Boston Globe, was named the winner of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award. Cafardo covered baseball for the Globe for 30 years before his death on February 21 at 62.
Cafardo will be honored in Cooperstown in July.
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Any MASNSPORTS fans see either humor or sincerity in Boras' commentary? The single most sleazy contract -embellisher in the world, showing "concern." All by himself, Boras has hiked pro baseball contract pay into the stratosphere, and driven competitiveness out. Only LAD, NYY, BOS and a few others can afford "competitiveness." Thanks for nothing, Mr. Boras.
Then I got lectured by a fellow fan on another Orioles’ “Comment section” who informed me that Boras is doing a magnificent public service by “squeezing money out of billionaires and giving it to millionaires.” I’m sure I would lose a protracted argument with this particular gent about this subject … but the cascades of money in the bank accounts of “the billionaires” comes straight out of the pockets of untold thousands of middle- and working-class Americans who pay the entertainment industry’s bills. That’s you and me, my good friends on this blog.
Orioles’ Fans and American sports fans are served VERY poorly by Corporate America, the big-sports business in general. Davis is one of many, MANY dozens of players making outrageous sums of money to either 1) Play poorly or 2) Not play at all. All these millions add up to many billions. Does ANYBODY on BaltimoreBaseball.com sincerely believe that a Boras – clearly a corporate insider, in on “the take” – is performing a public service to fans? Is it wonderful for baseball, or you or me, that a Chris Davis or a Jacoby Ellsbury or an Albert Belle are/were good for the game, good for you? Sincerely?
OK let’s mention $245 million. Does any fan on this blog sincerely believe that Stephen Strasburg is either 1) worthy of this bonanza, or 2) going to perform $245 million worth of services to the Washington Nationals franchise? Be truthful!
Forgive me, Rich Dubroff. I meant to start the last comment with "Any BaltimoreBaseball.com fans ...'
In any event, Mr. Boras' crocodile tears do nothing for me
Boras is a thief he gets these big contracts and this causes ticket prices to sky rocket, I blame the owners also for paying these players that kind of money if they would stop giving in the mlb would be a better place this guys don’t have any other skills so if they wanted to play they would play for what they are given, there isn’t anyway that a person is worth the money they make
Thanks, Rich, for a fine, insightful article. I always appreciate your reporting and your sensibility. I am sorry that some of the commenters have to be so negative about the subject matter in the comments. If they find no joy in our common interest they should focus on other things.
Boras, even if you hate him, is a product of the system, not the creator of it.
Thank you, geevee
The only way to get the skyrocketing contracts under control is for you, me, and a significant number of other fans of all MLB teams to vote with our feet and our eyes. We would have to stop attending games and cancel our cable subscriptions to send the message that we don’t want to spend our money on this product. Outside of that, the trend will continue.