Boras cashing in for future pros
Posted: Sunday, August 24, 2008 4:01 PM
The biggest story over the last week was the deadline signings of baseball amateur draft picks 2-5 with Buster Posey drawing a $6 million bonus from the No. 5 slot. Why such a big deal? Because Scott Boras is winning.
One of the agent’s missions for over a decade has been to morph the baseball draft into something akin to the NFL and NBA drafts. Force teams to reward players for future performance -- no sane business operates under that system but then again we’re talking about professional sports.
And now Boras is winning for one reason: he knows the money is there. The game is flush with cash and in a culture that demands immediate returns, Boras has been able to sell the fast track many college players have taken to become solid pros and accelerate signing bonuses at an alarming rate.
The fallout? Will certain teams -- unwilling to play Boras’ game -- draft high schoolers first in hopes of containing bonuses? Will savvy families of such players “retain” Boras and successfully use college for leverage? Will MLB ever allow teams to trade draft picks?
In a related story the net continues to spread from the ugliness of the Dominican signing scandal. Teams are firing scouts, executives are feeling heat and some rumblings exist that the federal government may get involved. I’m just wondering with immigration reform a hot election year topic, how does the exploitation of 16-year-old Dominicans play with Congress? Do I hear the gavel of Henry Waxman?
FIVE MORE SWINGS:
1. RAYS: Tampa Bay doesn’t go away even with Troy Percival joining Carl Crawford and Evan Longoria on the DL. Someone made a comparison that seems apt -- these Rays to the 1969 Mets, hapless expansion teams that shockingly struck gold not too long after they entered the league. Those Mets won the World Series in their eighth year while the Rays are in year 11. By the way, Minnesota makes few mistakes but you can’t help and wonder about the Twins’ decision to trade Matt Garza to the Rays. Garza angered the organization by defying his Triple-A instructors and the Twins tolerate no discord. Now he is 10-7 with a WHIP that equals Scott Kazmir. Tampa Bay’s rotation is a huge factor in its division lead.
2. TWINS: They were winners in their trade with the Giants four years ago. Even if Francisco Liriano can’t regain his 2006 form, the Twins gained Joe Nathan, who has become the AL’s answer to Trevor Hoffman, unspectacular and somewhat anonymous but headed for long-term success. Nathan is authoring his fifth straight sterling season for a team that handles closers better than any.
3. MORE SIGNING BONUS FALLOUT: Will teams invest more heavily in draft picks when they see the risk/reward of free-agent pitching? Barry Zito may LOSE 20 games in year two of a $128 million contract. Carlos Silva was one of the winter’s “bargain” signings and while Seattle is a bad team he is 4-14 with a 6.36 ERA.
4. D-BACKS DEVELOP AND TRADE FOR ARMS: Brandon Webb came up through the Arizona organization and Dan Haren came to the D-backs in a trade. With the reborn Randy Johnson this trio is 15-3 since the All-Star break, 42-19 for the season. Better question: With this caliber of starting pitching how can the D-backs be only seven games over .500?
5. BEST JOB OF SILENCING CRITICS: Rich Harden has four 10-strikeout games in seven starts for the Cubs. With his health often an issue the fact that he has been able to make seven straight starts -- something that didn’t happen often enough in Oakland – is significant. Perhaps his trade from the A’s to the Cubs was a wake-up call.
