One thing Boras does not understand, nor will he ever: Holding out for huge contracts and playing hardball does not help his players. Reasons:

-Instantly creates bad will around the clubhouse for his client, who has stolen the spotlight every single time during these obscenely long holdouts. Doesn’t Boras know that a better team leads to a better results for his client which eventually leads to more money?

-Instantly creates bad will in the fan base towards the player. If the player struggles, he will get shipped out quicker and more acrimoniously than usual, which doesn’t lead to anyone getting paid.

-Holding out or waiting for another year to get drafted again, will almost always make less money for everyone involved. Strasburg, if he signed right now, would get a bunch of guaranteed money. Not only that, he would be walking into a franchise that wants/needs him and will obviously bend over backwards for him. There is no negative here for Stephen. Let’s say Strasburg refuses to sign and decides to be drafted elsewhere. The longer he doesn’t sign, the more money he isn’t getting paid and his value drops.

The only thing Boras understands is money, which is fine. But his greed is actually making him and his clients less money in the long run, thus defeating his own ideals.

That is the number one problem with baseball is the greed of Scott Boras and his demanding of big contracts for unproven talent. Strausburg may turn out to be a great pitcher but he need to earn his A-Rod contract. This is unfair for the Nationals because this almost highway robbery by Boras demanding they pay Strausburg X amount of money, and the same thing will happen next year with Bryce Harper. There needs to be a rookie salary so teams don’t lose their top pick because they can’t throw Yankee money at them. Also if teams were allowed to trade their draft picks this also would’nt happen, cause the Red Sox or Yankees or Dodgers could trade with them and then give him the big contract if they want to. This just is’nt right for this team, they need him and Boras knows that and thats why he holding them up for a king’s ransom.

Short article on the subject. I’d tell you who wrote it, but then you wouldn’t click ;)

I think [author] is spot on.

•Gammons says that most baseball people think the Nationals will sign Stephen Strasburg “if negotiations with Scott Boras do not get contentious.” He guesstimates that Strasburg could get $22MM for three years, which would allow him to go to arbitration for three years and land another big payday. Or three.

And I didn’t buy a survival kit…and the world still turns.

but i’m going to be right. the Nats will offer Strasburg enough money to be able to say, on Tuesday, that they offered him the most money to an amatuer ever, and the player walked away.

i said at the very beginning, that the Nats will sign Strasburg only under one condition: if Scott Boras does not want to blow up the draft. well, Scott Boras wants to blow up the draft, and he’s willing to sacrifice this player’s health, wealth and honor.