The Athletics have been rumored to have interest in pursuing long-term deals with corner infielders Matt Olson and Matt Chapman in the past, and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the A’s did indeed approach Chapman’s camp about an extension at some point. However, agent Scott Boras informed the club that there’s no interest in discussing an extension at this time.
That Oakland already has interest in locking up Chapman beyond his standard level of club control is hardly a surprise; the 24-year-old has flashed one of the most dynamic gloves in all of baseball in his short time in the big leagues (+22 Defensive Runs Saved, +12.2 Ultimate Zone Rating in 868 innings) in addition to plenty of promise at the dish. Chapman hit .234/.313/.472 in 326 plate appearances last season, and he’s significantly reduced his strikeout rate in 2018 (from 28.2 percent to 16.4 percent) while slashing a robust .333/.403/.650 through his first 67 trips to the plate. It’s not clear whether Chapman was approached before or during the current season, but it’s certainly easy to see why the A’s believe him to be a potential cornerstone.
While Chapman is controlled through the 2023 season at present, the Athletics also have a well-documented history of trading players before they reach the end of their CBA-allotted level of team control (as Slusser notes). Josh Donaldson, Sonny Gray, Josh Reddick, Andrew Bailey, Trevor Cahill and others have been shipped out by the A’s over the past five to six years before reaching the open market — some by just a few months (Reddick) but some as many as three to four years in advance of free agency (Donaldson). An extension for Chapman certainly wouldn’t preclude an eventual trade (as Cahill exemplifies), but establishing cost certainty at a reasonable rate would certainly enhance the chances, especially if the team can indeed secure a new stadium deal around the time that Chapman is presently slotted to hit free agency.
Extensions for players with under a year of big league service time are rare but not unheard of, as Spring Training 2018 made abundantly clear. Paul DeJong’s six-year, $26MM deal with the Cardinals set a new benchmark for players with under a year of big league service back in March, and the Phillies even more aggressively brokered an extension with Scott Kingery before the 24-year-old had played a single game in the Majors. One would imagine that both could be data points in any future talks that arise between the A’s and Boras, though the price will only go up as Chapman accrues more service time and delivers further production at the big league level.
Boras, of course, has a reputation for advising his clients to go through the arbitration process and reach free agency as early as possible, though there have been exceptions to that general guideline. Jered Weaver, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Gomez and Elvis Andrus are among the Boras clients that have signed long-term deals while in their arbitration or pre-arbitration years.
Such deals require mutual interest, though, and as Slusser examines at greater length in the focal point of her column, Oakland’s paltry attendance figures don’t do the club any favors when trying to convince young talent to stay around. Slusser speaks with team president Dave Kaval, second baseman Jed Lowrie and others in highlighting not only the team’s 2018 attendance struggles, but also an unorthodox upcoming promotion in which the A’s are hosting a home game that is free to the public.
Boras cares about extreme amounts of money instead of setting up a player’s future. A young player with many arbitration years left is better served with a good long deal in case of injury. You might leave a little on the table but money security in case if a injury is more important.
Why is boras always viewed as such a bad person? He works for the athlete, they pay for his services. And guys keep coming to him because he’s really good at what he does
as fans we tend to see boars as “bad” agent because a lot his clients are players we emotional attachments to and don’t like the possibility of seeing them players don another uniform but if you look at it from a players veiw they have really 1 deal after there 6 to cash in and as much as fans we hate it boars dose get what his clients ask most of the time and if I were a player I would want an agent with a track record of getting the best deals
problem is for every contract he gets he fails on another one. Especially college kids who he over plays the market. With a young player security is better than the most money possible. To many get injuries and never get to their big pay day.
Boras is the only agent this happens to?
He also comes off as an arrogant sob to me, can’t say I’m just a fan of him, but he deserves a bit of respect for the work he’s done
I feel like the 1/1 ratio is an awful exaggeration. He probably has the best ratio among all agents.
I personally don’t care for him because of that arrogance but if you look at any a the top of there field or craft most of them have that arrogance and I think it’s a big part where boars or others who are in that top tier regardless of professen
Boras is viewed as a bad person because most fans (incorrectly) think he makes the final decision for players, whether that be contract length/amount or location. It’s easier for most to blame him for being greedy rather than the player they “know.”
If the player is smart with his money, just making the ML and playing for a couple of years will set him up financially. How many people make millions in their 20’s.
Many players would NOT be served by signing away his arb and early FA years. And it’s not just superstars that benefit from this strategy.
Oh … and it’s not “a little” money for many players. It could amount to hundreds of millions.
There are good reasons for some players to sign deals like this. But to categorically assume that all players are better served by this strategy just isn’t correct.
One more thing … the team making the offer matters. I don’t see why any player would want to hitch their wagon to Oakland. In the last 10 years they’ve made it to the post-season 3 times. The last 3 years they were dead last. They have an ownership that won’t spend money and a stadium situation that is among the worst in the game.
Steve, please police the site for abuse. Four consecutive posts as if they’re from different people. Annoying.
With respect to Boras, maybe this past year will have some impact in that the players will ultimately listen to their agent for advice but then make the best decision for them and their family. That’s the way having an attorney or agent is supposed to work. Only guarantees are as the saying goes: death and taxes. Especially their first multi-year deal, most should consider locking something in that sets them up for life then roll the dice. Each person is different and there are exceptions. Problem is for every Mookie Betts, there’s many Joe Charboneaus or Mark Fidryches, both one year wonders of many years past.
“With respect to Boras, maybe this past year will have some impact in that the players will ultimately listen to their agent for advice but then make the best decision for them and their family. That’s the way having an attorney or agent is supposed to work.”
That is the way having an agent works… That’s exactly what players do – even those with Boras as an agent, despite what fans think.
Boras is a lawyer that represents his clients the way they are supposed to be represented: the best way they can be represented, period. I’m sure Billy Beane regrets trading Josh Donaldson. He can only do so much but It’s the way the A’s market is. Ownership does not want to commit until they get that precious new stadium…
People might feel that way because look at Boras agents this winter, Jake Arrieta, Greg Holland, mike Moose all gave up money trying to get bigger deals.
Boras expected teams to be willing to pay players after every team received $50-mil from the BAM Technology. Many teams decided to pocket the money rather than blow cash on a potential bust.
While teams did pocket the money, there were too many other factors to think that was the sole or even main reason. Yankees and Dodgers getting under the tax threshold was the biggest. Also, teams looking at next year’s class as better investments and as has been said before, more GMs thinking alike are two more. Someone had a great point. By pushing players to play hardball, the average contracts historically have gone up. Such favors SOME players on average but ALL agents overall. My prior point before was there’s so much money in the game that it just makes sense for a young player to lock in that first contract. Another way used to be insuring yourself against injury but that’s limited.
Of course Dewey. Plenty of teams didn’t want to go Chicago Cubs and overpay for a player like they did Jason Heyward. Or KC when they re-signed Gordon, or even the Red Sox when they signed Hanley and Sandoval. Teams want to use their farm and build from within, stay younger rather than tie up money they might need in 2-3 years for the core players. Plus many teams weren’t ready to spend. It tightened up the market. Nonetheless, Boras expected more teams to be willing to spend that extra money and they didn’t. Aside from Philly’s nonsensical signing of Carlos Santana, many deals made sense.
boras has the mentality that the player works for him rather than he works for the player.
1000% true