VIERA, Fla.
Agent Scott Boras’s partnership agreement with the Washington Nationals is unwritten.
He has no official title or specified role with the franchise. You won’t find office space set aside for Boras at Nationals Park.
What Boras does have — and what makes him a key player in the Nationals’ future — is a client roster that includes star starter Stephen Strasburg, right fielder Jayson Werth and top prospect Bryce Harper. Boras could have significant influence over the Nationals for many years because of their huge investment in Strasburg, Werth and Harper, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Many of you probably read the previous sentence and laughed because of Boras’s reputation within Major League Baseball management.
Baseball officials, particularly many in the commissioner’s office and those who operate small-market franchises, blame Boras for much of the game’s dizzying contract boom since the 1990s. It seems Boras has almost single-handedly tilted the arbitration process and the amateur draft in favor of players because of his innovative strategies.
No doubt, Boras is an advocate for his clients and, in extension, all players. He’s an aggressive negotiator whose results often produce criticism.
But I know about another side of Boras. I’ve seen his full-service approach in helping his clients maximize their performance, which is rare among agents.
“The game has given me everything I have, and I want to do what’s right by it,” Boras said in a recent interview.
“The best contribution that myself and my company can make is to represent players and advise them, to help them condition themselves at optimal levels and help them play the game at optimal levels. To help them execute their contracts at the highest levels so that the fans remain in baseball and they have continued interest.”
Way back in the late ’90s, Boras was deeply involved with the Los Angeles Dodgers because of his prominent clients on their roster. Management embraced Boras and sought his counsel, believing he could assist them in achieving their goals.
Boras repeatedly helped the Dodgers resolve difficult situations with several of their best players. He prevented small internal issues from becoming big problems.
Other organizations also have privately leaned on Boras. During his more than 30 years in baseball, Boras has been encouraged to intervene with players. One general manager I know once asked Boras to reach out to a player who wasn’t one of his clients.
Boras negotiated a draft-record $15.1 million contract for Strasburg. He persuaded the Nationals to give Werth a seven-year, $126 million contract — the biggest in franchise history — that includes a complete no-trade clause. At 17, Harper was guaranteed $9.9 million.
All three are highly motivated players who, by all accounts, are determined to achieve because of their passion for baseball. It would be naive, however, to assume no hiccups will occur in their time with the Nationals.
Also, if things go as expected, Strasburg, Werth and Harper will account for an increasingly bigger portion of Washington’s payroll. The Nationals will have to deal with Boras, so having a solid professional relationship with him makes sense.
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