Comments on: No. 6 pick Albert Almora and agent Scott Boras are already making life difficult for Cubs

By: dcollins8

dcollins8 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:59:05 +0000

Market value, are you crazy? He is an unproven kid. The team offers him 3.25 mil and he wont take it? The success rate of minor leaguers making the show is like 10% and you think this isnt market value? Wow, lets be the guy that penalizes the team for going over their allotment. J.D. Drew all over again btw Boras the leach was his “adviser” to.

By: deadeyedesign23

deadeyedesign23 — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:22:24 +0000

Then you won’t have enough people declaring for the draft to fill out your minor league teams.

By: sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo

sabathiawouldbegoodattheeighthtoo — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:51:57 +0000

If he wants to be drafted, yes

By: Uncle Charlie

Uncle Charlie — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:26:17 +0000

Wow, huh?
First do you realize all teams have predetermined pool of money that they can spend for the first 10 rounds? If an early round player demands way over slot that takes away from the amount that can be offered to later round players, essentially putting all the draft eggs in one basket.
What does McCourt have to do with this? This totally screws high revenue teams and low revenue teams a like by basically setting the price for their picks, giving teams no room to negotiate. So it’s either pay or pass on early round players a la Appel. See below.

What’s new? To make it more fair for smaller-market teams, teams are being told how much money they can spend on draft picks. Plus, there are fewer rounds (40) and an earlier deadline (July 13) to sign draft picks.

How much can teams spend?
It depends on where their picks are. MLB has assigned a value to every draft pick in the first 10 rounds.

What about players drafted after the 10th round?
They can be signed for up to $100,000. Anything over that amount will count against the pool.
What happens if a team goes over the pool amount? It is penalized. If a team goes over by up to 5 percent of its pool amount, it is heavily taxed. If a team goes more than 5 percent over, it is taxed and begins losing draft picks in 2013 (a first-rounder for going 5 to 10 percent over; and subsequent picks for going over 10 percent).
– Kevin Thomas

By: kcfanatic

kcfanatic — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 14:01:09 +0000

I knew guys in the Computer Science Department at the college I went to. Companies were giving these guys from a state school a $60-80k bonus to drop out as juniors and join their company. They wanted to train them their way. They would then also pay for them to earn their degree after working for them so many years. In other words, it happens in all kinds of fields. Just on a different scale.

By: kcfanatic

kcfanatic — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:56:01 +0000

With a 3.25 million signing bonus plus more money on the way, the kid doesn’t need to worry about getting a degree to support life when he retires. FYI, some of these kids even have clauses in their contracts saying that the team will also pay for their college over the next 5-10 years.

By: Detroit Michael

Detroit Michael — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:44:01 +0000

So the best examples of what went wrong for Boras clients are (1) a 37th round pick wanted more money and became a 4th round pick and (2) a 40th pick overall wanted more money and became a 1st pick overall signing for $3.5M. If those are the best counterexamples, then Scott Boras must be a heck of an agent.

By: xnumberoneson

xnumberoneson — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 01:20:33 +0000

I think I’m in the minority of baseball fans. I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Scott Boras. I wish I had an agent like him who could convince my company to give me a hefty raise.

People always say that Boras and the draftees are only “about the money.” The owners are also about the money. That’s why the draft system exists. That’s why they fought for the rule changes. It’s all about suppressing bonuses and paying kids less than their market value. So I don’t blame them for using whatever negotiating tactics they can to get as much money as possible up front.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:44:09 +0000

I certainly can’t defend the NCAA; however, Boras should have been aware of the NCAA rules. Furthermore, Boras got greedy and asked for too much. Consequently, Paxton was shown the boot rather than the money.

By: iranuke

iranuke — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:32:16 +0000

With any Boras client they are not going to sign 1 minute before they have to. The Cubs should sign all of their other draft picks and then go back and offer what they have left, if its less than 3.5 mil, the Boras client looses and goes to college to be overworked in the college world series, have fun kid. The trick is that the Cubs have to not blink, yes he might turn into a great pitcher, but the odds are that he will not even make the show.

By: Kevin S.

Kevin S. — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 00:07:06 +0000

Boras didn’t cost Paxton a ton of money, the NCAA’s illegal punishment of Paxton for using legal representation while negotiating a contract is what cost him a ton of money.

By: crackersnap

crackersnap — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 23:45:33 +0000

Yeah. Get a degree in law, for example. From a private university. Walk away with $200,000 in non-forgivable debt and zero job prospects. Maybe Boras will hire you instead of the other way around, as an intern or something.

By: hsven1887

hsven1887 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 22:12:23 +0000

Wonder what this does to team spirit. 1 guy wants extra $$$ 10 guys get less – and he is supposed to play with those 10 guys? This isn’t negotiating with the club, it is negotiating against your future team mates.

By: sasquash20

sasquash20 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:31:31 +0000

Do you have to have an agent to be drafted? Did Boras cost Appel millions by representing him. Or maybe a team wouldn’t draft a kid so high if he didn’t have a agent because they may think he wants to keep playing HS or College ball. Just wondering.

By: sasquash20

sasquash20 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 21:26:24 +0000

I’m probably in the minority here but I wouldn’t be a hard ass in negotiations. I know college seems great, but that kind of money you could go to college later and still be set for life. Why risk injury or even a meteor falling from space and killing you. Take the money and take care of the family and be a hard ass when its time to sign the next deal.

By: schlom

schlom — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:18:35 +0000

Or any client of Boras should read about Luke Hochevar. Hochevar was one of the top prospects for the 2005 and had Boras as his adviser. He dropped due to contract demands and wasn’t drafted until the 40th pick by the Dodgers. After heated contract negotiations he dropped Boras and accepted a $2.98m bonus only to change his mind, go back to Boras and refuse to sign. Despite all this (and his perceived lack of leverage) in 2006 he was drafted #1 by the Royals and received a $3.5m bonus as part of a major league deal.

By: hansob

hansob — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:15:02 +0000

He won’t get a $4M offer. The Pirates only have $6.6M to offer, and that’s only if they actually sign all their picks in the first 10 rounds (they lose their draft budget dollars for the picks they don’t sign). So if they gave Appel $4M, they’d have to get their other guys to all sign for a combined $2.6M, when the combined slot for those picks is $3.7M. So they’d basically have to get guys to sign for 70 cents on the dollar so they can give that money to Appel.

By: El Jefe

El Jefe — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 19:03:59 +0000

You realize that $3.25 million is more than I currently make even if you pro-rate it over 60 years? Hell, I’d take that money.

By: metalhead65

metalhead65 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:46:55 +0000

Thank you and jwiii as I did not know that. that is almost as good then.get rich now or maybe later. wonder if boras will pay him the 3.25 million should he have Tommy John surgery or some other injury while in college? I hate the cubs but hope they do not cave to this kid and boras.

By: randomdigits

randomdigits — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:39:42 +0000

Or just look at Appel this draft. He could have taken a 6 million offer but turned it down. He will be lucky to get a 4 million offer from the Pirates.

By: term3186

term3186 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:23:11 +0000

Mad hatter…. Of course it’s about the money. Most of your post doesn’t make sense. You do realize that if he washes out he can just take his 3.5 million/34k and GO TO COLLEGE THEN. It’s not like you can only go to college when you’re 18. They don’t shut the door just because you’re 23 or 24 or 25. Also, fun fact, people with a bachelors degree earn about 1 million more over their lifetime than someone with a highschool diploma, so with 3.5 out of the gate he is already way ahead of the game.

By: deadeyedesign23

deadeyedesign23 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:22:35 +0000

There’s too many rounds to have to declare. Should a 20th round selection have to declare?

By: jwbiii

jwbiii — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:21:57 +0000

The Cubs could only draft him again next year if he went to a JUCO, like Miami-Dade CC.

By: deadeyedesign23

deadeyedesign23 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:21:06 +0000

Yes because everyone knows once you go pro you’re never allowed into to an institution of higher learning. I have a feeling the U will be around longer than his playing days.

By: proudlycanadian

proudlycanadian — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:20:04 +0000

Any client of Boras should read about James Paxton on Wikipedia. Paxton was selected 37th by the Jays in 2009. Boras wanted more money than the Jays were willing to pay so Paxton was not signed. The NCAA then declared Paxton ineligible because of his contact with Boras. I do not know the specific reasons. He was forced to pitch in an Independent League rather than return to his college team. His ERA in the Independent League was over 4.00. In 2010, Paxton was drafted by the Mariners in the 4th round. Paxton is now considered to be a top prospect by the Mariners, but Boras cost him a lot of money and a year in the wilderness.

The Jays were a winner in that they took $400,000 of the money that they would have paid Paxton and signed their 15th round draft pick at the last moment. That 15th round pick was Drew Hutchinson.

By: windycity0301

windycity0301 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:12:12 +0000

One does not simply hire Scott Boras as your “adviser” unless it’s about the money.

By: brewcrewfan54

brewcrewfan54 — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:07:41 +0000

The text you quote from Gleeman says they have made it known he wont sign for the slotted price of $3.5 million. So while his statement didn’t say it apparently his camp has made it lnown to somebody that that amount of money is unacceptable

By: istillbelieveinblue

istillbelieveinblue — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:04:52 +0000

John Calipari thinks that is the funniest thing he has ever read.

By: Alex K

Alex K — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:59:54 +0000

This.

By: madhatternalice

madhatternalice — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:47:24 +0000

@brewcrewfan54 Whether or not he wants to go to college wasn’t my original point. Here’s the text Gleeman wrote:

Sixth overall pick Albert Amora hasn’t officially signed with an agent yet, but he’s being “advised” by Boras and predictably they’ve already made it known that he won’t sign with the Cubs for the $3.25 million slot bonus for where he was picked:

But nowhere does he say, imply or otherwise state that he “won’t sign with the Cubs for the $3.25 million.” Maybe he is trying to raise the price, but that also doesn’t mean he won’t sign for the $3.25.