Comments on: Sneak Peeks: Scott Boras orchestrates Damon’s move to New York

by: Nordberg

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 01:19:10 +0000

Pedro is back all right. Back on the disabled list.
He wanted out of the AL East because he was tired of getting his butt kicked by the Yankees.
Theo and Co. correctly gauged that Pedro would not remain healthy through the duration of a four-year contract, which is why they chose not to match Omar Minaya’s offer.
Look at how he pitched in Fenway last month and tell me you really wanted him back. He said the reception he received from the fans was more important to him than how he pitched. You REALLY want a guy like that?
There’s your out-of-control ego.
As far as Damon goes, I felt all along that sham agent Scott Boras was behind the move. Why would Boras give a rat’s butt about what’s best for a player when he can make a few more bucks. Agents like Boras are what’s killing baseball.
Again, the Red Sox felt Damon wasn’t worth a fourth year for health reasons. And, oh, big shocker, HE’S HURT NOW!
Don’t get me wrong, I love that he plays hurt, but he’s ALWAYS PLAYING HURT!
My understanding has been that the Red Sox were willing to give up this year and maybe next year figuring that Damon wouldn’t be worth the money by the third and fourth years of the contract, hense, the Yankees overpaid.
And now we know that Boras tried to lie them into a match but they didn’t bite.
You must realize that this management group is different. They are not willing to shell out big contracts to free agents when it comes at the risk of the future.
What if they had sacrificed $52 million over four years for Damon when farmhand Jacoby Ellsbury could be ready in two years to start in centerfield at a fraction of the price and age.
The Yawkey, Sullivan, Duquette style is not the way the Red Sox are run, and I for one am grateful. Mr. Yawkey was a good man, but for decades under his leadership this was a poorly run franchise that always made the deals for today and not tomorrow. It had a bad farm system, catered too much to its star players and always preferred power hitting over pitching.
That is not the way they do business anymore.
Theo might have a big ego, but you need one in a job like that. The meek and humble will get run over in this business.
Thanks Pedro, thanks J.D. And good luck. (p.s., good riddance.)

by: I Want to be a Sports Agent » Blog Archive » Johnny Damon’s Move to New York; Was it Theo’s Ego or Boras’s Lie?

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 21:17:40 +0000

[…] Seth Mnookin is coming out with a book tomorrow that looks to be a good read: Feeding the Monster : How Money, Smarts, and Nerve Took a Team to the Top. Today, Mr. Mnookin has realease his last preview of the book by highlighting the negotiation between agent Scott Boras and Theo Epstein over Johnny Damon’s contract [Sneak Peeks: Scott Boras orchestrates Damon’s move to New York]. It is a good look into the negotiation process between GMs and agents. Tactics used included stalling direct communication, lying about competing offers, using a player’s wishes to remain in a certain city (whether true or false). […]

by: Nordberg

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 19:34:25 +0000

So Scott Boras lies. This surprises whom?

by: Bring Back Pedro

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 19:14:39 +0000

This is how the Sox run players out of town. Don’t believe the lie.

Johnny Damon, Pedro Martinez, they were Duquette guys. Theo can’t be considered a wonderboy if he is re-signing Duquette guys, so he needs to run them out of town. But he still wants to save face. So this is what Theo does (in this case, the Sox took care of the final step when Theo was out following Pearl Jam after quitting because his feelings were hurt).

Step 1 - Reject home town discount offer for contract extension. Make sure the player goes all year knowing they aren’t really wanted.

Step 2 - Lowball player during exclusive negotiation period (2 year offer for Pedro, 3 year $27 million deal). DO NOT make an acceptable offer during this time as the player might accept the deal. Make sure the player knows they are not really wanted and that they hit the open market.

Step 3 - Keep your offer below market the rest of the negotiating period. Since the player is unlikely to return for a discount after being insulted, this will assure that you are not stuck with the Duquette signing, and it will also cause your unintelligent fans to believe that you wanted to re-sign the player.

This is how Theo works. Theo’s ego is the size of Texas. He needs to have to satisfied.