Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
If there is one thing that I know about the game of baseball, it’s that Scott Boras is an evil genius. Seemingly every year, Boras has a handful of clients who are still looking for teams past the winter meetings. And considering Michael Bourn, Rafael Soriano, and Kyle Lohse are still looking for a club in 2013, not much has changed on the Boras front. However, it’s becoming pretty clear that teams are sick of playing games with the super agent.
After Soriano declined the New York Yankees’ $13.5 million qualifying offer, which was laughable at best, Boras reportedly went back to the Yankees asking for a new one-year deal for his client. Predictably, however, the Yankees laughed in Boras’ face, saying there was no way they will bring back Soriano. The question remains: will Soriano make less than the $13.5 million he was offered, or will Boras work his magic once again, giving Soriano a multi-year deal from a team in need of a closer?
During the 2012 season, reports surfaced that Michael Bourn wanted a $100 million deal on the open market. I’m sure we all scoffed at that notion, but anything is possible with Boras – - or is it? Bourn is still without a team, and there is nothing reportedly imminent for the outfielder. Atlanta Braves general manager Frank Wren hasn’t talked to Boras at all since they declined Atlanta’s qualifying offer. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?
In regards to Lohse, Boras has an uphill battle to convince teams that they should want a 34-year old pitcher who had a career year with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, Boras always has a way to create a market where there isn’t one, which brings me to my next point.
Is Scott Boras really an evil genius that is waiting out a deal for these three guys by creating a market when there isn’t one? Or are teams finally fed up with the cutthroat, shifty tactics by the best agent in the world? We have seen Boras work his magic time and time again, so I’m not ready to rule out his wizardly ways. But if he strikes out with his three top clients, will players and GMs move away from the greatest sports agent we have ever seen?
We shall see.
