Regardless of whether you’re a fan of the outspoken Scott Boras, there is no denying he is one of the most successful and influential agents in the history of sports. Boras’ skill in landing mega-bucks for his clients has been on full display this offseason – a winter he entered representing seven players from MLBTR’s top 50 list of free agents. He has since secured a staggering $1,077,500,000 in guarantees for those clients. That figure trumps the predicted total of $842MM that we predicted for those players when free agency commenced.
Let’s check in on the work Boras did this winter for his biggest clients, including the three players who were the game’s highest-ranked free agents when the market opened…
Gerrit Cole, RHP, Yankees (MLBTR prediction: eight years, $256MM; actual contract: nine years, $324MM)
- One year after Boras secured the richest contract ever for a free agent – Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper’s 13-year, $330MM pact – he almost surpassed it. In many ways, he did. Cole’s deal breezes past Harper’s in average annual value ($36MM), ranking first in baseball history in that category. And the 29-year-old Cole also owns the longest and largest contract a pitcher has ever signed.
Anthony Rendon, 3B, Angels (MLBTR prediction: seven years, $235MM; actual contract: seven years $245MM)
- Nothing surprising about the value of this contract for Rendon, who was far and away the No. 1-ranked position player in this free-agent class. Among hitters, only new teammate Mike Trout ($35.5MM per year) earns more on an annual basis than Rendon’s $35MM.
Stephen Strasburg, RHP, Nationals (MLBTR prediction: six years, $180MM; actual contract: seven years, $245MM)
- It wasn’t long ago there were questions as to whether Strasburg would opt out of the remaining four years and $100MM on his previous contract, making this payday especially impressive. Strasburg will turn 32 in June, and he owns a somewhat checkered injury history, yet the World Series MVP was still able to score $35MM per season. As they tend to do, the Nationals included deferrals in the deal (approximately $80MM), but those come with interest in this case, so they don’t impact the present-day value of the contract.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, LHP, Blue Jays (MLBTR prediction: three years, $54MM; actual contract: four years, $80MM)
- On a per-inning basis, Ryu has been among the game’s premier pitchers last season, but he’s also a soon-to-be 33-year-old with a concerning injury history. But those factors didn’t stop Boras from crushing our Ryu projection and persuading a Toronto team that hasn’t finished .500 in a season since 2016 to splurge on the ex-Dodger.
Nick Castellanos, OF, Reds (MLBTR prediction: four years, $58MM; actual contract: four years, $64MM)
- There’s nothing eye-opening about the value of Castellanos’ pact, though it’s arguably a surprise relative to the way his market unfolded. The big-hitting, fielding-challenged 27-year-old went unsigned until late January, after all, and he netted his deal shortly after a similarly valuable outfielder (the Braves’ Marcell Ozuna) signed for three fewer years and $46MM less. Moreover, Boras convinced the Reds to throw in opt-out clauses after each of the next two seasons, which will give Castellanos the power to return to free agency in the near future if he’s so inclined.
Mike Moustakas, 3B, Reds (MLBTR prediction: two years, $20MM; actual contract: four years, $64MM)
- The other member of the Reds’ two-man $64MM club, Moustakas raked in more than triple what we forecast. That’s despite the fact that Moustakas entered this free-agency period coming off back-to-back offseasons in which he settled for relatively modest one-year guarantees. It’s also worth noting the 31-year-old wasn’t markedly more productive in 2019 than he was in either 2017 or ’18.
Dallas Keuchel, LHP, White Sox (MLBTR prediction: three years, $39MM; actual contract: three years, $55.5MM)
- Boras and Keuchel aimed too high in free agency last year, which is why the former AL Cy Young winner wound up without a job until the Braves added him for a $13MM commitment in June. Keuchel, 32, was more decent than great as a Brave, but he still managed to smash our predicted total this winter and get the multi-season guarantee he couldn’t find a year ago.
love him or hate him, he does his job EXTREMELY well
Yep
“Regardless of whether you’re a fan ”
I want a Scott Boras bobblehead!
Scott Boras gets my vote.
ok Donald.
When I’m in the big league, I’ll have Boras represent me. Then again, I’m 60 y.o..
kids these days!
Scott could use that to your advantage. “Where else can you find a 60-year-old talent like this?”
Assessing Scott Boras’ Offseason: LOTS OF MONEY!
What does he make? 10% of every sale? I estimate he made $21 million this winter.
* Estimated by per year salary …
Also, Jesus. What kind of math is that?
10% of $1.077 billion = $107.7 million
Based on his commission rate in 2017 of 5.7%, his gross income this year was
$61,417,000.
Not bad work if you can get it
Yearly commission! We have some real mathletes on this site let me tell ya!
The players don’t get that 1B up-front, guys. 21M sounds right to me.
Their commission is based on the length of the contract! He’s not getting 30 million from Cole this year. Guys, I’ll be offering a free course on fractions to help!
After years of trying, Boras finally got to 1B with MLB
There’s no reason for any player to hire anyone other than Boras.
you know except maybe they actually care about the future of the game
LOL! Yea right…..
Yah, I’m sure a ton of players care more about the “future of the game” than providing for their family.
Agents generally get 5% ,so out of the 1 billion in contracts signed, Boras gets 50 million. That is winning.
I dislike him especially when he came out about the players needing to apologize(per the owner of Astros), and Boras said they do NOT hafta apologize to to the fans, per Boras. We all know it’s about the money n if they admit wrong doing they won’t get as much as a FA. MONEY!!!
Boras thinks he walks on water.. I’d like to see him try sometime personally in the deep end of a large pool.
More like the ocean.
He’s too busy buying an ocean sized swimming pool.
More like a swimming pool-sized ocean.
Because you want to watch Scott Boras swim a short distance to safety?
Agent gives advice he was hired to give, performing one of his main functions as an agent.
That’s $1,077,500 enough said.
I can careless for this guy, Especial when he will lie for a cheater Jose Altuve that is his client.
Who’da thunk it? An agent hired to represent a player does his job.
and because we constantly make excuses for assholes who abused and game the system America will never get any better
You should study history.
“Every great fortune started with a crime.”
Could or couldn’t care less?
I believe it’s I couldn’t care less…….
Xactly
It was a very successful off-season for Boras and company.
I wonder how much of that $1 billion goes to Scott Boras? 250 million? More? Whatever it is, man the guy is paid! I wonder how much money he’s made ALL-TIME?
He sure as hell does not get as much as 25% commission
This tells me MLBTR needs work on their predictions.
The market shifted unexpectedly. Like it did two years ago…..
It’s a crazy crazy baseball salary world!
Im rooting for Team Boras this year
why? why don’t you say I’m rooting for the homeless this year
Huh!!??
Wonder if I can get him to negotiate my mediocre salary into something sweet like Cole or Rendon? He prob wouldn’t answer the phone, much less entertain the idea
Worth a phone call bravesfan!
I hear you! Maybe I’ll be able to retire21 😉
Looks like he does his job extremely well.
who cares. its an easy job. flies around in a private plane goes to $500 dinners
jtvincent, you’ve made it clear that your life is miserable but enough with the negative posts. You complain about everything.
Seven players and over a billion dollars yet MLB is bitching about paying a fraction of that money to keep the minor league teams they plan to eliminate. Maybe MiLB out to hire Boras. MLB needs to be called out on this one. They surely can’t cry poverty.
That is a great idea. I hate Bora$$ but he would absolutely kill it for the minor leagues.
Good idea!
Bora$$ is an arrogant PO$. But you cannot argue with the re$ult$.
As my Dad would have said, “The man knows his business.”
he further laid destruction to the game we all care about in the name in the name of pointless amounts of wealth.
The owners wouldn’t pay it if they didn’t have it…..
Boras is not destroying the game. The money is there.
By encouraging his players to always seek top dollar many players leave for greener pastures. Thus as a fan I can see why people do not like Boras as “your” team and “your” player may not stick around.
On the other hand other players come via free agency whom may not otherwise have been available.
But the money is there in baseball to pay what is being paid regardless.
people are celebrating Scott boras who will pay about 1% tax on his massive payday. you know that big important tough job of eating dinners and talking to people. meanwhile you probably busted your ass 80 hours a week to barely be able to pay your bills and paid half of it in taxes nobody would notice if Scott boras stopped working tomorrow but everybody would notice if construction workers or garbage been stopped. can we stop at celebrating excessive greed especially you so-called Christians
I second that emotion!
First of all, Boras probably pays more in taxes per year than you ever will. How many garbage collectors and construction workers salaries does he cover with the taxes he pays?
Search “Who pays taxes in America”. One of the results should be the IRS web site. Take 5 minutes to read up and find out who pays the taxes. You might notice nearly 50% of Americans pay no federal income tax. Why aren’t you complaining about them living off of the construction worker’s and garbage collector’s taxes?
Secondly, if you cannot make it on 40 hours’ pay per week, you might want to look at trying something different.
Lastly, usually when someone whines about what the other guy has, the whiner is the greedy one. Would you prefer Boras give you some of his money? Why don’t you make yourself marketable so you can earn more money? You do realize it is easier to collect garbage or build houses than it is to be a big-time sports agent, right? Supply and demand.
Sorry for the rant, but this kind of crap rubs me wrong. Count you blessings everyone. As you get older, money and possessions mean less and less.
You should do your ranting in a political forum
I was responding to JTVINCENT’s political ranting.
jtvincent, you’re absolutely pathetic. It’s not greedy to make a lot of money and having a lot of money doesn’t mean someone can’t be a Christian. I can’t stand Boras at all but to act like he doesn’t pay more in taxes a year than most of us will ever make in a lifetime is absolutely stupid. We get it, you cover what he has, a sin mind you. Stop listening to what the media tells you to think and do a little research on how many people benefit from the enormous amount of taxes that the wealthy pay.
If you’re working 80 hours a week and can barely pay your bills, it’s probably time to reassess a few things…
The fans put money in HIS pockets, he should make sure his clients engravient themselves with the fans instead of hiding behind NO words of apology.
I wonder what his actual profit margin is. He has a big organization. He doesn’t work alone…..
How about all the players he screwed like Rocco Baldelli when he was offered a five year extension he was never told about before came down with that awful sickness and ended up w/zippo?
If he’s smart (& he clearly is) he’s using his stats to garner higher than typical % rates for his services. I doubt very much that he is paid an industry standard amount
Dude has a net worth of $450 million. He even disguises his charity as a player recruitment opportunity. The Boras Classic
I used to wonder how Boras could look himself in the mirror being that smarmy and disingenuous.
Then, I found out how much he makes a year.
Now, I no longer wonder that…
Boras should be impeached
You know that’s not how it works right? I like how you told Tigernut to go to a political forum. Looks like that’s where you belong.
Rico. Calm down relax. Go take some exlax. Your constipation is annoying me
Are you not offended/bothered by JTvincent’s comments? Or are you singling me out because you agree with him but not me?
He is the one who started the non-sports talk.
Oh for a Union that worked so well for the players. Keep it up Scott, you’re getting folk paid by their bosses.
Listen buzzfeed. I dont agree with anyone. I’m being sarcastic. I said he should be impeached. And what do you do, you tell me to go to a political room. You need to relax. Politics do not belong here, but neither do internet trolls
“You should do your ranting in a political forum”
“Boras should be impeached”
“Politics do not belong here”
Those are 3 quotes from you. You are bringing up politics and then saying politics don’t belong on the site. Just pointing out that you are being a hypocrite… that’s all.
Amen. Political stuff doesn’t belong on a site named MLBTradeRumors. There are plenty of other places to talk politics.
It might help that he represents the best players. Not too hard to sell. I’ll give him respect if he was able to get more money for players that hit .230 with 11 homers. I’m in sales and client management, and these players would have been able to represent themselves and get these deals. Not impressed.
Baseball card companies need to make an autographed insert card of Scott Boras
What’s his commission on a billion dollars?
Wouldn’t it actually be Scott Boras’s ON season? This is the time of year when Boras works his hardest. It’s the off season for his clients, but not him.
The real agent is his wife Jeanette. Boras messes up and she just might get HALF…
Half?
HALF!!!
Ryu will thrive with Toronto’s culture. Great move for the city
So, where are the angry townsfolk that have been saying Boras is done, dusted and irrelevant? Probably hanging up their pitchforks for the next ridiculous conclusion.
Boras single-handedly shut a lot of people up.
Let’s ask Garret Anderson how good he is.
Dude slayed it this year