Somewhere, there is a bag of rocks that will be offended to be compared to Pedro Alvarez.

$6 million in the hand is worth $6.2 million in the bush.

Just ask Matt Harrington.

Mr. Alvarez, go talk to Alex Rodriguez, or Harrington–ask them to smack you upside the head several times until you reach epiphany.

You’re being used by Scott Boras.

The $200,000 you’re holding out for is about one-half the major league minimum–if it costs you a six months development time in reaching the major leagues then you’ve broken even. If it delays you any more, you’ve been ripped off.

A year or two difference in the age you reach free agency is literally worth tens of millions of dollars–you’re risking that for $200,000?

Do you know why it’s $200,000 for which your agent is asking? $6.2 million would make you tied for the largest bonus in the year’s draft–that means a lot to Boras; something he can sell to other young men like you.

However, the $200,000 you’re trying to get now can cost you millions, and possibly tens of millions, later.

Right now, it seems you’re in a precarious position–Boras’ actions now make him your agent and not your advisor so unless I’m missing something your NCAA eligibility is gone.

The thing is, Boras cannot renegotiate your contract–if you missed the deadline as Boras is maintaining, there is no contract to renegotiate. You simply go back into the draft. However, you have to play in the Independent Leagues and hope you play like a superstar and do not become injured. The fact that he wishes a renegotiation implies that there is a contractual link between yourself and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

You may get a better bonus next time round (and you may not) but if you have a successful major league career you will have still cost yourself a lot of money and goodwill.

However, your agent isn’t trying to get that–he is trying for an extra $200,000.

Scott Boras has been trying to find loopholes in the draft for over 20 years–he has been playing a cat and mouse game, or better still, a game of poker with MLB for self-enrichment.

Boras is a multi-millionaire but you’re the one spotting him chips for this particular hand–he is gambling with your money … with your career.

Boras has had a lot of setbacks in recent years–Alex Rodriguez dumped him last year, he has a losing record in arbitration cases and the new draft rules cramp his style and teams are able to handle him more effectively. This isn’t about you; it’s about Boras and his stature in MLB and the agent business.

Go online, Google your name and check out what folks are saying about you–it ain’t pretty. You have a good start at becoming the game’s next pariah–or at the very least the next favourite target of the boo-birds. All for the sake of half a season of the major league minimum; a total you can double by reaching the major league a year earlier by getting your career started as expeditiously as possible.

You’re a pawn in Boras’ game. It isn’t about the commission on the $200,000–it’s about his ability to say he got his client the largest bonus in the draft, it’s about testing the boundaries of the rules surrounding the draft, it’s about finding and/or creating a loophole that he can use for future clients.

Not you.

You’re just the sucker he’s duped into playing along in his little game.

Were you aware that the Pirates’ executive you’ve been negotiating with is the father of the slotting system (something Boras loathes) and was the enforcer of it? Do you think it might mean something to your agent to get the better of him?

Trust me, I do not like MLB ownership one bit–I’ve written articles dripping with vitriolic poison about them. I’m not writing this because I support management’s efforts to rein in the so-called “greedy players.” I’m generally on the side of the players in owner/player disputes–heck, I have been pounding the collusion drum all year for a player I do not particularly like.

I’m on your side in this instance too–one does not have to be a major league executive to exploit players.

Scott Boras has an agenda–he always has; despite his fancy words and his high sounding rhetoric he is a man looking to maximize his earnings. One of the ways he does this is by finding loopholes to get his clients extra money–sometimes he succeeds, sometimes he fails. Matt Harrington had a second shot at a million dollar payday and Boras told him to reject it.

Boras is still rich–Harrington is not.

What Boras needs is naïve young men like yourself willing to be used as he tests the system–if he wins, you win, if he loses, he’s still rich and it sucks to be you.

You agreed to a $6 million bonus to join the Pittsburgh Pirates organization–that’s a lot of money and nobody knows what tomorrow will bring (again, Matt Harrington might have a thought or two on the subject). There’s a lot more money to be made but the streets lined with gold begin by getting yourself into affiliated baseball and making the major leagues as quickly as possible. Every month of delay is money out your pocket–a lot more money than you stand to gain by following the advice of Scott Boras.

Take the money and run … from Scott Boras.

Fast.

Best Regards

John

Oh boy, this looks like it might get ugly! I can’t explain the situation any better than the Pirates, so here’s the statement from President Frank Coonelly…

“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 Boston Red Sox announced today that they have acquired outfielder Mark Kotsay from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for outfielder Luis Sumoza.

Kotsay, 32, is batting .289 with 6 homers and 37 RBI in 81 games for the Braves this season. He has started 80 games in centerfield and has not committed an error in 176 chances in 84 total contests.

Sumoza, 20, is hitting .301 with 11 homers and 38 RBI in 51 games at Single-A Lowell in 2008. He was in his 5th season with the Boston organization after being signed as a non-drafted free agent in July 2004.

…Hall of Fame Outfielder Carl Yastrzemski, after having triple bypass surgery has been deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital. He was discharged yesterday.

…According to Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal both Brian Fuentes and Willy Taveras of the Colorado Rockies have been placed on waivers. The Dodgers who own the worst record of any National League contending club will get first crack, but according to Rosenthal don’t expect either player to clear waivers.

…Sean McAdam of the Providence Journal is reporting that a Mets-Red Sox two game series will open the new Citi Field in Flushing next season. The two game series are the last two games of spring training before the regular season starts.

…According to John Hickey of the Seattle Post Intelligencer Seattle Mariners closer JJ Putz was skipped over last night in a save situation - and he’s not happy about it. With a 3-2 lead going into the final inning, Putz began his warm up routine. Manager Jim Riggleman phoned the bullpen and instructed his closer to sit down. I guess this didn’t go over so well with Putz who’s been ineffective at times, not to mention injured.

According to Riggleman he was giving JJ the night off.

…The Tampa Bay Rays who are in a unfamiliar position atop the American League East received good news. Rookie Third Baseman Evan Longoria had an MRI on his broken wrist and all is well. He’s working on returning in time for a series against the Yankees to kick off baseballs final month of the regular season.

…According to ESPN Boston Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett will return to the BoSox rotation on Friday. He threw a side session in New York yesterday and it was enough to convince manager Terry Francona that Beckett was ready to go.

“He threw 50 pitches and he was strong and he’s ready to go Friday. I’m excited, and because he’s excited so are we,” Francona told reporters.