Is High Profile Sports Agent Scott Boras Getting Too Greedy?

There is no doubt that Scott Boras knows what hes doing and he definitely does it well. I mean the man has some serious game when it comes to negotiating contracts. Probably one of the best I ever seen was getting the World Champion Boston Red Sox to pick up J. D. Drew (and his $15 million contract) in order to nail down pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka better known as Dice-K. Not to mention the $51 million and some change price tag it cost just to talk to Dice-K in the first place which didn't include his contract price.

However it looks as though players are starting to take notice and realizing all Boras wants is the almighty dollar. Detroit Tiger's pitcher Kenny Rogers figured it out as it was announced that Boras would no longer be representing him after altercations that Boras wanted to shop Rogers around, but Kenny wanted to remain a Tiger according to AP reports. The same scenario was also reported after free agent Alex Rodriguez wanted to stay with the Yankees, but Boras suggested for him to opt out of the final three years of his contract to explore other offers. Evidently that is not what Rodriguez wanted as he went around Boras to get a deal in the works for $275 million over ten years with the Yanks.

While these two high profile players are most recent in the news, many owners will try to stay away from "Boras Players" as to not having to deal with the obscene prices Boras negotiates. Allegedly telling players coming from the amateur draft to turn down a deal if the signing bonus is not a number Boras is happy with. The Chicago White Sox are a prime example of an owner (Jerry Reinsdorf) refusing to draft players represented by Boras.

Unfortunately in 2004 it may have been the year that professional players fueled Boras to what he has become today. In June of 2004 a young boy was drowning and the boy's grandmother in a panic asked for Boras to help the boy. He refused unless the grandmother paid $35 million for him doing so. You can read about it if you missed it here. While this is distasteful to many, ballplayers realized with tactics like those Boras was their man to get as much as they could out of owners and it has grown to where we are today. Its a good thing the Cubs paid for his law school at the University of Pacific after his lingering knee problems in the minor leagues back in the late seventies or he might be working for the grounds crew at Wrigley Field today riding on a tractor. Give it time he may end up there yet if major league ball players that use Boras as an agent don't become as greedy as he is.