Scott Boras is such a sweetheart (Pedro Alvarez-related)

mrmain18 · 08-27-2008, 01:59 PM

Just released: Statement from Frank Coonelly, Pirates president, on the Office of the Commissioner's placement of Pedro Alvarez on the restricted list | pirates.com: Official Info

Quote:

"At the Pirates' request, the Office of the Commissioner today placed Pedro Alvarez on Major League Baseball's Restricted List. The Pirates were forced to request that Pedro be placed on the Restricted List because we were informed by his agent, Scott Boras, that Pedro will not sign the contract to which he agreed on August 15. Boras further informed us that Pedro will not report to the Club unless we renegotiate his contract and agree to pay him more than the $6 million signing bonus to which he agreed.

"The Major League Rules provide that a player who refuses to sign a Uniform Player Contract to which he has agreed and report to the signing Club shall, upon a report of the signing Club, be placed on the Restricted List until he signs a contract reflecting the terms to which he has agreed. Such a player may not sign a contract with or play for any other Club. While demanding that we renegotiate his contract and pay Pedro more than the $6 million signing bonus to which Pedro agreed, Mr. Boras has contended that the contract we reached with Pedro was consummated after the August 15 deadline. This claim was not raised on the evening of the 15th when we informed Mr. Boras that Major League Baseball had confirmed that the contract was submitted in a timely fashion. Mr. Boras asserted this claim several days later, after all of the draft signings had become publicized.

"The Pirates are confident that the contract reached with Pedro Alvarez was agreed to and submitted to Major League Baseball in a timely fashion and properly accepted by Major League Baseball. In fact, the contract between the Kansas City Royals and Eric Hosmer, another Boras client, was submitted to the Office of the Commissioner after our contract with Pedro was submitted. Mr. Boras is apparently satisfied with the $6 million bonus that he secured for Mr. Hosmer and has not challenged the validity of that contract. Mr. Boras has been informed that if he pursues a claim that our contract with Pedro was not timely he puts Eric Hosmer's contract with Kansas City in jeopardy.

"The Pirates made several attempts to commence negotiations immediately following the draft and were willing and ready to agree to pay Pedro a $6 million signing bonus from the very outset. Predictably, however, Mr. Boras refused to engage in any negotiations at all until shortly before the August 15 deadline and even then an agreement was reached only after Pedro took control of the negotiations.

"Regrettably, we are not surprised that Mr. Boras would attempt to raise a meritless legal claim in an effort to compel us to renegotiate Pedro's contract to one more to his liking. We are, however, disappointed that Pedro would allow his agent to pursue this claim on his behalf. Pedro showed tremendous fortitude and independent thinking when he agreed to his contract on August 15.

"The Office of the Commissioner has assured us that we have a valid contract with Pedro and that it will vigorously defend any claim to the contrary. Despite our disappointment, we continue to believe in Pedro Alvarez the person and the baseball player and remain excited to add Pedro to our system. We will sit down with Pedro and his family as soon as Mr. Boras' claim is rejected to chart a new and much more productive start to Pedro's career with the Pittsburgh Pirates."

The Players' Union has also filed a grievance, I'm told, against the Pirates.

Edit: The grievance is actually against the commissioner's office since Alvarez is not officially a player yet.

bbacon24 · 08-27-2008, 02:45 PM

Both agent and player are such a joke. Since when is $6mil a slap in the face. You would think that Alvarez would want to start playing as soon as possible to begin his climb through the system.

mrmain18 · 08-27-2008, 02:56 PM

I think the only way Alvarez saves face in this town is if he fires Boras, signs the contract, and begs for forgiveness from the Pirates and their fan... I mean fans. This might fly some place like NYC or LA, but not in a blue-collar town like Pittsburgh.

JSG1984 · 08-27-2008, 03:11 PM

So I just took mail down to the lobby, and the guys in the elevator were talking about how they couldn't wait to boo alvarez (think jd drew on his return to philly when he wouldnt sign)

twinsprtsfan · 08-27-2008, 03:13 PM

Wow! Boras is one greedy man. And Pedro sure isn't starting off on the right foot with the Pirates.

I am sure any second Kushnick will come running on here to defend Boras!

JSG1984 · 08-27-2008, 03:16 PM

At this point I say screw Alvarez, and take the additional pick next year when the draft is supposed to be ten times as better, and let's find out where he falls next year.

Take the $6 million or whatever, and give every fan that comes to the last home game 100 hundred bucks.

I can't wait for alvarez/boras to get a new one ripped.

swish54 · 08-27-2008, 03:17 PM

That's rediculous. What's the point of agreeing to a contract in the first place, when this can happen.

mrmain18 · 08-27-2008, 04:05 PM

I don't see any way this contract gets voided. He will either sign it or rot on the restricted list for the next few years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by swish54

That's rediculous. What's the point of agreeing to a contract in the first place, when this can happen.

If this gets overturned, think of the precedent it will set. There's no way the commissioner's office lets that happen.

alexsautographs · 08-27-2008, 04:15 PM

These guys are nuts. Poor baby can't live with $6 million. Poor thing.

scoreset · 08-28-2008, 11:49 PM

Boras is the absolute worst. But I'm amazed teams even bother trying to sign his clients. They publicly state how signing his clients is always a headache, but then they draft these guys anyway. If they had the cahones to stay away from his players in the first place, he'd be out of business. If the players are really that talented, they should be able to negotiate a satisfactory contract without Boras.

Also, had heard about the Hosmer snafu. Hilarious. Looks like the Pirates are playing hardball. That's what happens when people (i.e. Boras) think they don't have to play by the rules.

bearfan1 · 08-28-2008, 11:57 PM

boras is ruining the respect for sports agencies. What a joke!

Dave

tummy34 · 09-01-2008, 12:36 AM

Boras is screwing Hosmer now. Hosmer's deal came in after Alvarez's....therefore if Alvarez's was late, then Hosmer's is as well. This is getting very interesting now as the league has asked the Royals to sit Hosmer until its all sorted out. Could screw this kid from the get go.

kidk · 09-01-2008, 01:00 AM

Fact: The Pirates cant do anything right.

Laws · 09-01-2008, 02:35 AM

"I would play for meal money"

Ray Liotta as Shoeless Joe in Field of Dreams.

jbsouth · 09-01-2008, 01:40 PM

If I were a Pirates fan, I would circulate the list of Boras clients, and boo them all mercilessly. Heck, as a baseball fan, I'm tempted to do so.

I was at the first JD Drew game in Philly and I've never heard anything so loud. The mantra in Philly that night was "you shouldn't throw batteries, well not unless you're throwing C, D and 9 Volts"