Boras Blog

A Day's Work

As you read about the Strasburg deal, seeing it described as a "resonable deal", "fair compromise", etc., consider how Boras was able to completely reset the standards for a free agent contract.  Before the hype machine, before the talk of $50m demands, before the talk of international free agency and the liklihood of missing a year... think back a few months and consider what $15m guaranteed actually means.  Its a phenominal contract.  The best ever.  Outdone, perhaps, by  Dustin Ackley's $7.5m guaranteed.

A summary of the first rounders:

Stephen Strasburg (#1, Nats) - Four-year major league deal, $7.5 million bonus, $7.6 million in salaries ($15.1 m guaranteed).

Dustin Ackley (#2, Mariners) - Five-year major league deal, $6 million bonus, $1.5 million in guaranteed salaries, another $2.5 million possible in salaries depending on how quick he reaches the majors ($7.5m guaranteed).

Donavan Tate (#3, Padres) - $6.25m over five years, permission to play football as well.

Turner (#9, Tigers) - Major league contract with a $4.7 million bonus (over six years) and a guaranteed value of $5.5 million. Incentives up to $7 million.

Washington (#30, TB) - Did not sign.  Keeping them honest, I suppose.

MLB Trade Rumors is the place to go for more draft coverage and to see the rest of the first round contracts.

Crunch Time

Here we sit, six days before the deadline, Strasburg remains unsigned and I have nothing to blog about. No rumors, no updates, no speculation.

Meanwhile, Dustin Ackley, the #2 pick in the draft and a Boras client, remains unsigned as well.  I havent been able to write one word about Ackley yet, again - no rumors, no updates, no speculation.  But Ackley's case is far less fascinating than Strasburg.  We have already seen Boras go toe to toe against Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik for the Josh Fields contract.  That standoff, reportedly over the relative pittance of $500k, ended up with a deal at the midpoint. With Zduriencik coming from a player development background, I dont think he will let Ackley go unsigned. It would stand to reason that he knows that Boras knows that time is on Boras' side, for now, and they will come to an agreement at the deadline.

Strasburg, of course, is far more interesting.  For one thing, Interim GM Mike Rizzo is fighting for the job. He doesnt just want to the deal to go through, he NEEDS the deal to go through. And you can bet that Boras will test his fortitude.  For another thing, there is little precedent for the level of hype Strasburg has received. Well... I might have to scratch that - that is hard to quantify and it always seems like there is some prospect somewhere that has been anointed the future best player ever (related: Mat Witers OPS is below .700, Mark Prior is not currently affiliated with any MLB team). But the hype is obviously huge for Strasburg, and that hype - even if never substantiated - has value for the Nationals.  Finally, the Nationals... what's a franchise to do?  If it ever paid to overpay, it does for the Nats and their beautiful ballpark, their sleepy fan base and their city that thinks baseball is better left to their friends fifty miles up the 95.