Some agencies are more open to multiyear extensions for their clients than others. The Boras Corporation is notorious for avoiding such deals. In the last three years, only Boras clients Carlos Gonzalez and Jered Weaver signed significant extensions, with Prince Fielder and Stephen Drew signing two-year deals covering arbitration years. Certainly the agency's number of clients will correlate to its volume of extensions, and unfortunately I don't have the complete data needed to give a percentage of clients extended. Using MLBTR's Transaction Tracker, these agencies have brokered the most extensions since the beginning of 2009:
- CAA Sports (13)
- Octagon (9)
- Beverly Hills Sports Council (8)
- SFX (7)
- ACES (6), Praver/Shapiro (6), Sosnick Cobbe (6), Wasserman Media Group (6)
- Legacy Sports Group (5), LSW Baseball (5), Moye Sports Associates (5)
Most active GMs have authored at least one contract extension since 2009, with exceptions for recent hires Dan Duquette, Ben Cherington, Terry Ryan, Jerry Dipoto, and Jeff Luhnow. The leaders:
- Dan O'Dowd/Rockies (10)
- John Mozeliak/Cardinals (8), Kenny Williams/White Sox (8), Ruben Amaro Jr./Phillies (8)
- Doug Melvin/Brewers (7)
- Andrew Friedman/Rays (6), Brian Sabean/Giants (6), Ned Colletti/Dodgers (6), Walt Jocketty/Reds (6), Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer/Cubs (6)
- Alex Anthopoulos/Blue Jays (5), Dave Dombrowski/Tigers (5)
White Sox GM Kenny Williams and CAA Sports appear high on both lists, so perhaps John Danks' recent deal shouldn't have been a surprise. Carlos Quentin is another CAA client. Ned Colletti, Andre Ethier, and CAA make another good combination. Also on the CAA front, I wonder if Alex Anthopoulos has broached an extension for Brett Lawrie. The Cubs' Matt Garza is another name to consider here.
Other combinations of extension-prone agencies and GMs might bode well for Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, John Axford, Nyjer Morgan, Tim Lincecum, Madison Bumgarner, Melky Cabrera, Jeremy Affeldt, Kelly Johnson, Brandon Morrow, Jason Motte, Brandon Phillips, Delmon Young, Starlin Castro, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster, and Philip Humber. Of course, those who just finished off-years are less likely to be extended now.
Agency and team matchups were found using MLBTR's Agency Database. For my look at arbitration eligible extension candidates, click here.
Why are you such a grinch Boras? I like Joyce and all but it would nice to at least have a shot at Jennings/Hellickson instead. You ruin holidays, Boras. Now give us a discount on Pena and Damon.
I dont understand why so many GM’s (and players) allow themselves to be manipulated by Boras.
Because he gets players more money which makes the best players want him as an agent and GM’s eventually give into him because, well, he represents a lot of the great players in the game.
What is the definition of an “extension” being used here? Any multiyear contract signed before free agency? It seems to me that a two-year contract covering two arbitration years is a fundamentally different contract than a longer term one, potentially covering free agent years.
I think a “long term extension” should at the very least cover all the arbitration years and preferably, it would buy out a FA year or 2. Rays are known for that, they like to have 2 or 3 option years that cover FA years.
That’s right, any multiyear contract signed before free agency (though not necessarily with less than six years service). Without a doubt there are nuanced types of extensions, though we will see all of them in the next few months.
Thanks, Tim.
Does it change the numbers much if you only count extensions covering (either guaranteed or option years) free agent years? I am assuming it doesn’t, but it may give a more accurate representation of the agents/teams who are most likely to value guaranteed money now vs. projected future earnings.
With that definition, it would seem that the Yankees would be almost completely unrepresented on this list, as their stated organizational policy is not to negotiate extensions until free agency. CC Sabathia and Robinson Cano are the only exceptions that come to mind. Even Jeter and Posada were allowed to have their contracts expire before renegotiating. I take it their contracts do not count as extensions?