Credit: Toronto Star

 

 

For the past 15 years, the most hated man in baseball among major-league owners and general managers has been uber-agent Scott Boras.

 

With offices in California and clients across the land, the supremely confident Boras, a former minor-league player, already represents 17 of the top 100 salaried players in the game, a stable of mega-millionaires soon to be expanded.

 

To his clients, Boras is Mr. November, December and January rolled into one, the months in which free-agent contracts are signed. Face it (because GMs long ago have), Boras and his fellow agents dominate each and every winter meetings.

 

His impromptu press conferences at the end of the day are classic examples of using the media to blow smoke and bolster your clients' profiles.

 

Seven winters ago, at the meetings in Nashville, Boras negotiated pitcher Kevin Brown a seven-year, $105 million (all figures U.S.) guaranteed contract from GM Kevin Malone of the Dodgers.

 

No other team was offering close in years or dollars, yet Malone had read that there were teams set to outbid him. That set the new standard for pitchers and began Malone on a steady decline out of the game.

 

Two years later in Dallas, Boras got Rangers owner Tom Hicks to sign Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year, $252 million contract, setting the standard for position players. The contract was so complicated, Boras needed a press conference to explain it. A-Rod can opt out of the final three years. But since nobody has come close to that figure since why would he?

 

The 50-year-old Boras approaches this upcoming winter meetings, Dec. 10-13 in Anaheim, with enough star power to change the course of any pennant race.

 

The richest jewel in his crown is outfielder Carlos Beltran, who used the post-season to add zeros to the end of any new contract. Boras also represents outfielders Magglio Ordonez and J.D. Drew; pitchers Derek Lowe and Kevin Millwood; third baseman Adrian Beltre and catcher Jason Varitek.

 

It was a perfect playoffs for Boras. The Yankees, who hate to lose, were embarrassed. The Red Sox, who won it all, have a ton of free agents, including his clients Lowe and Varitek. Lowe won clinching games in all three Red Sox series. The Angels, the other team to top $100 million in payroll, lost in the first round, whetting the appetite to win of free-spending Arte Moreno. And Beltran dazzled the baseball world with his five-tool talent for the Astros.

Somebody needs to unleash a pack of flesh-eating weasels on that guy.