Scott Boras
From BR Bullpen
Scott Boras
- Bats Left, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 180 lb.
- School University of the Pacific
- Born November 2, 1952 in Sacramento, CA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Scott Boras is considered by some to be the most powerful man in baseball as some teams would rather skip a player in the draft than have to negotiate a contract with this man. Boras showed he understood baseball's rules better than some front offices when he got 4 drafted players ruled as free agents because the teams didn't follow rules that said that a written offer had to be made within a certain time frame. Boras is known as a hard negotiator who will recommend players (J.D. Drew and Jason Varitek) lose a year rather than accept a deal that Boras feels is not fair. Other clients, Stephen Drew and Jered Weaver, were top picks in the 2004 amateur draft, but held out until just before the 2005 amateur draft before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, respectively.
His son, Shane Boras, was drafted in the 2008 amateur draft.
[edit] Playing Career
Boras was originally a player himself, spending four seasons in the minor leagues. He debuted with the 1974 GCL Cardinals, hitting .274/~.405/.347 in 33 games. He stole 7 bases in 9 tries. Defensively, he struggled, fielding just .870 at third base and .889 in the outfield. In 1975, Boras began a stretch with the St. Petersburg Cardinals. Moving to second base, his fielding improved significantly. He hit .277/~.402/.373 but was just 1-for-2 in steals. He was 8th in the Florida State League in batting average.
Playing second and third in 1976, Boras had a big year, hitting .295/~.383/.387. He was fifth in the FSL in average and tied five others for the league lead with 22 doubles. He made the league All-Star team as a utility man, as Tim Ireland (2B) and Lou Whitaker (3B) beat him out for the starting infield spots. Back in St. Pete again, Boras hit .346/~.440/.423 in 22 games in 1977. He also played for the Arkansas Travelers that year and the Midland Cubs after moving to the Chicago Cubs system. Between those AA teams, Boras hit .275/~.379/.351, continuing to show good OBP skills. Injuries were taking their toll, though, and Boras decided to return to college to pursue a degree in law.
Sources include 1975-1978 Baseball Guides
[edit] Recent Clients
- Jason Varitek
- J.D. Drew
- Derek Lowe
- Johnny Damon
- Stephen Drew
- Jered Weaver
- Alex Rodriguez
- Carlos Beltran
- Kevin Brown
- Bernie Williams
- Magglio Ordonez
- Chan Ho Park
- Darren Dreifort
- Mike Gonzalez
- Jeff Weaver
- Kevin Millwood
- Kenny Rogers
- Jarrod Washburn
Boras' biggest impact has come in the free agency market. Boras has been responsible for some of the largest free agent contracts in baseball history.
Boras was involved in a controversy about Pedro Alvarez, the #2 pick in the 2008 amateur draft. After the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boras had come to terms, including a $6 million bonus, a minute before the August 15 deadline, Alvarez did not show up to sign his contract. As a result, Major League Baseball put Alvarez on the restricted list on August 27. Boras claimed that the deal had been completed after the deadline, something he had not stated after the deal had been announced and prior to the placement of Alvarez on the restricted list. The Major League Baseball Players Association filed a grievance on Pedro's behalf and the case was sent to an arbitrator. On September 24, before the arbitrator had made a ruling, Alvarez agreed to a four-year major league deal for $6,355,000 and the MLBPA dropped its grievance. Both Boras and the Pirates claimed to have gotten the best of the new deal.
