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Why I Chose My Agency: Ryan Ludwick

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The Reds' Ryan Ludwick enjoyed a bounceback year in 2012, posting a .275/.346/.531 batting line with 26 home runs in 472 plate appearances.  The outfielder spoke to MLBTR about his relationship with the Beverly Hills Sports Council and why he chose them.

How did you first come into contact with Dan Horwits and the Beverly Hills Sports Council?

I think I was a little bit of a unique situation in that my brother [Eric Ludwick] was represented by them and I got to know Danny through my brother while I was in high school, but I wasn't highly recruited out of high school.  A lot of teams wanted me to pitch, like my brother, but I didn't want to.  I didn't have representation then but as time went on through high school and college at UNLV, I built a relationship with Danny before he was even really my agent, more as a family friend.  It was a pretty easy decision when it came time.

Were there other agencies hoping to represent you before you signed on with BHSC?  Why did you choose BSHC over them?

I did get recruited by other agents in the game and I listened to a couple of them and I let them come into the house and talk about how they were better than other guys.  But, for me, the decision had already been made.

Besides contract negotiations, what else does BHSC do for you that you value? 

Just about everything.  I know the social media thing is really big right now but I'm a pretty Plain Jane type of dude.  I don't have a Twitter or a Facebook account but I know a lot of players in the agency that have them help out with a lot of stuff like that.  For me, they help with basic stuff like taxes, card deals, equipment, getting your Nike deal or your Wilson deal set up, and you get a little bit of perks too.  I'll call Danny and he'll get concert tickets or dinner reservations…Me and the wife and some friends on New Year's we went down to the Florida keys and they'll even help out with that stuff.  Anything under the sun, they'll help out with.  The good thing about Danny is, I was at his wedding and I've known him forever and he's really like a big brother to me.  I know I can call him about anything and I can ask him for everything and I think I've paid him back, so I think we're good.

From what you've seen, how common or uncommon is it for a player to have that type of relationship with his agent?

Everyone is different.  Everyone's goals or mindset is different.  I think with some guys, whether that's an agent or player, you get egos that are all about the money.  I'm not trying to be rude or inconsiderate but I think that happens in everyday life, whether you're an agent or a lawyer or a doctor, a car salesman, whatever that might be, I think some people are about money and some are about happiness and friendships and enjoying what they're doing.  For me, the friendship aspect was more important for me.  But, that being said, I also knew that [BHSC], they're very good at what they do.  There are a lot of guys out there, and I know [MLBTradeRumors] is doing a lot of agencies in this series, but they're in the top percentile of agencies out there.

When you look at Danny Horwits' record in arbitration, it's pretty good, I don't think he's ever lost.  We settled outside of hearings every time and each and every time we got what we wanted.  He's very good at that and I'm really really thankful that he's on our side in that respect.

You spent parts of nine seasons in the minors with five organizations due to injuries and trades before finally breaking through in 2007 with St. Louis.  How did BHSC help you through those tough times?

It's a pretty lengthy story with Danny and I.  Not even after my first full season in pro ball, I was drafted in '99 and in 2000 for the first half of the season I was in High-A ball in Modesto and I was hitting .200 with, I think, four home runs at the break and I remember calling my future wife up and my brother and my mom and Danny up and being like, "I'm done."  I didn't even have a full year under my belt yet but I had never failed before and I felt like I was failing tremendously.  Looking back on it, I've done that numerous times now, but that first time he told me to take a deep breath and that I'll be alright…He reminded me that a lot of people struggle when they get to pro ball and Danny has always been there behind me, whether it be then to when I eventually caught fire to my injuries.

I've had a lot of injuries as well, some people don't know about.  I have an eight inch titanium rod in my hip, a six inch titanium rod in my ulna, I've had two knee surgeries, I've had a GI bleed which is a pretty bad ulcer where I had like five holes in my stomach from all the anti-inflammatories I was taking trying to get better from all the surgeries…There have been numerous times where I could have given up and Danny was there for me.

Have you ever recommended Dan to a player looking for representation or thinking about changing representation?

It's funny, he doesn't ever ask me to do that.  I know he's asked other guys to do that when they have their eyes on a certain guy who may or may not have certain representation.  But he really hasn't asked me to do that too much.  There are guys that I've gone up to on my own and I ask what they're thinking.  I always tell them that I'm very happy with my representation at the Sports Council and I tell them that it's a strong way to go.  But he's never harped on me to recruit other players.

After a strong 2012, you turned down your side of a $5MM mutual option. Were you anxious to get your contract hammered out over the offseason and how often did you find yourself checking in with your agent as talks progressed this winter?

I called him quite frequently and he called me quite frequently.  I think the important thing is that whenever I called, he's there.  Danny is always there and he always got back to me promptly.  Going through the arbitration process three times and then into the free agency process, I didn't want to believe him at times.  Every step of the way there were times that I didn't trust his opinion, but in all three arbitration cases he was 100% correct and every time I got panicky in the season about free agency he was always correct.  Like I said, he's always given me good advice and he's always right.  I've been with him since '99 and I really don't have any gripes.  I mean, I wish he could have gotten me an everyday big league job a little bit sooner but that's probably my fault, not his.

Were you at at all hesitant about turning down the option for 2013?

Not at all.  I knew right away, we both knew right away, that we were going to go after a multi-year deal.  I had never had one before.  There were times in St. Louis where I played well early in my career that I thought St. Louis might let me have some security and play there.  Then I went to San Diego and I had that awful year that got in my dome and mentally I just wasn't right.  I went into free agency after that season, after being with San Diego and getting traded to Pittsburgh, thinking it was going to be a great thing.  

It ended up being a thing where I only had four or five teams interested and I took a huge pay cut from the season before and I thought, "Hey man, I'm finally going to get my three year deal," and I only got a one year deal.  I went to Cincinnati last year and Danny said, "You know, if you're unhappy with what you've got going, you've got no one to blame but yourself.  If you're unhappy, you have to go out there and use Cincinnati to your advantage."  

Cincinnati was a place I wanted to go but we were talking to other teams.  Danny agreed with me, he said that we had to listen to other teams but that Cincinnati was the best fit.   For one, it's a completely different ballpark from San Diego, it's a lot more hitter friendly.  And for me, it was my favorite team growing up, Eric Davis was my favorite player, it's where my mom and dad were born and raised, and it just kind of struck home.  It was a good feeling and he said that I should use it to my advantage to get back to where I was.  I think after last year's season I proved to other people and Danny that I can still hit a little bit.  And you know, Walt [Jocketty], Danny, and I got together and I let it be known to Walt that I wanted to stay there and that I was very happy with the situation I was in.  Danny and him got the deal hammered out and I'm very thankful to be where I'm at.

NL Notes: Chapman, Stewart, Rockies, Braves

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St. Patrick's Day is as much of a baseball holiday as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, or Labor Day thanks to former Reds GM Dick Wagner. Tom Singer of MLB.com chronicles how the baseball tradition of wearing the green came about 35 years ago. Elsewhere from the Reds and the rest of the National League:

  • Reds GM Walt Jocketty expects a decision in the next few days on whether Aroldis Chapman will pitch out of the bullpen or be moved into the starting rotatation, reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. Chapman stated publicly he wants to close, which didn't sit well with Jocketty. "We don’t let every player tell us how they want to be used," the GM told MLB.com.
  • Ian Stewart's lingering left quad injury could affect his chances at making the roster and how the Cubs build their bench, writes MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. Brent Lillibridge, Luis Valbuena, Edwin Maysonet, and Alberto Gonzalez are competing to fill that void while manager Dale Sveum mentioned Steve Clevenger could be an interesting option and added the team is watching all the waiver wires. 
  • The Rockies are giving serious consideration to making Nolan Arenado their starting third baseman with one club official telling Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com "it’s a tough call." If Arenado receives the nod, Rosenthal believes incumbent third baseman Chris Nelson could be used to acquire a veteran starting pitcher.
  • Within the same piece, sources tell Rosenthal the Rockies want to move Ramon Hernandez and are willing to assume some of his $3.2MM salary to facilitate a trade.
  • Don't expect the Braves to have any interest in the recently released Matt Diaz because there isn't a need right now, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • The Marlins have returned Rule 5 selection Braulio Lara to the Rays, reports Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post. The left-hander appeared in four games for the Marlins this spring throwing four innings allowing two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Central Notes: Gomez, Chapman, Choate, Indians

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It was on this day in 1932 that the Reds and Dodgers swung a very notable trade.  Clyde Sukeforth, Tony Cuccinello and Joe Stripp went to Brooklyn while Cincinnati acquired Babe Herman, Wally Gilbert and a then-23-year-old catcher named Ernie Lombardi.  Needless to say, this deal ended up being a big win for the Reds — Lombardi spent the bulk (10 years) of his Hall of Fame career in Cincinnati and hit .311/.359/.469 and 120 homers with the club.  Lombardi won two batting titles during his career, and was the last catcher to lead the NL in average until Buster Posey last season.

Here are some items from around both the NL and AL Central…

Cashman Eyeing Derrek Lee, Chipper Jones, Rolen

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It’s no secret that the Yankees are searching for corner infield depth following Mark Teixeira’s wrist injury. GM Brian Cashman updated reporters on the team’s search earlier today, detailing interest in some veteran players. All links courtesy of Jack Curry of the YES Network and Joel Sherman of the New York Post on Twitter, unless noted otherwise..

  • Jones got a "good chuckle" upon learning of the Yankees' interest in him, agent B.B. Abbott told Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). 
  • Cashman called Derrek Lee a Yankees type because of his approach and makeup, Curry reports. The Yankees recently reached out to Lee to see if he’d come out of retirement to play in New York. Asked about the chances of completing a deal, Cashman noted that Lee isn’t with the Yankees now. The GM is not currently optimistic about signing Lee, according to Sherman.
  • Cashman said he’d sign Chipper Jones if the third baseman were willing to come out of retirement, Sherman reports. The GM said his interest in Jones was serious and that he intended to call his agent, Curry notes. However, B.B. Abbott told Sherman that he can’t see his client coming out of retirement. "I don't think [playing for the Yankees] is something he would consider, but he would be flattered,” Abbott said.
  • Cashman also investigated the possibility of signing free agent third baseman Scott Rolen, Curry reports. The GM hinted that Rolen wants a guarantee of playing time and/or money, however.
  • The Dodgers and Reds both offered Rolen $4MM only to have him turn the proposals down, according to Sherman, who has heard that Rolen would only play for a guaranteed salary.

NL Central Notes: Villanueva, Snider, Pirates, Reds

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Brewers GM Doug Melvin is in good health following a unique Spring Training injury.  As MLB.com's Evan Drellich and Adam McCalvy relate, Melvin was stung by an Arizona bark scorpion on Wednesday night and, after his left hand swelled up, made a three-hour visit to a local emergency room.  Here's the latest from around the NL Central…

  • Cubs swingman Carlos Villanueva tells MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that long relievers (like himself) who can make spot starts are "definitely underappreciated" around baseball.  “There’s no market for it,” Villanueva said. “When you go arbitration with somebody, you hear you’re not good enough to start, you’re not good enough to close, and it obviously drives the value down."
  • After struggling to live up to his potential in Toronto, Travis Snider is eager to get a fresh start with the Pirates, MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo writes.
  • Snider is one of a dozen former first-round draft picks that could play key roles for the Pirates in 2013, according to MLB.com's Tom Singer.  The Bucs have acquired several former first-rounders (like Snider or Jason Grilli) and have plenty of homegrown top picks in the fold.
  • Jason Donald delivered the controversial hit that broke up Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game in 2010 and now the two are teammates with the Reds.  "We never have an in-depth discussion, but it was, 'Oh, hey … good to see you again,'" Donald told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "It wasn't anything like, 'Hey, you remember when I ruined the best game of your life?' He's such a good guy and I know he understands. It's something we can both look back on and know we were a part of history."
  • Earlier today on MLBTR, we featured a collection of Cardinals Notes and some Astros-related items as part of a Texas Notes post.

Reds Sign Mark Prior

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The Reds signed Mark Prior to a minor league deal, according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The move reunites Prior with manager Dusty Baker, who managed Prior early in his career with the Cubs.

“He called me and … asked for a chance,” Baker told Fay. "He feels like he has some unfinished business."

Critics often point to Baker's handling of Prior as one of the reasons the promising right-hander dealt with so many injuries. Despite the perception that Baker mis-managed Prior, they have remained close and speak a couple of times each year, Fay reports.

A series of shoulder problems derailed Prior's career, and he last pitched at the MLB level in 2006. Prior has tried to resurrect his career with stints with the Padres, Rangers, Yankees and Red Sox. The 32-year-old had been working to strengthen his shoulder in the hopes of receiving an invitation to Spring Training. 

The Cubs drafted Prior second overall in 2001 and he soon became one of the National League's best pitchers. He posted a 2.43 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9 as a 22-year-old just a year and a half after being drafted. 

Why I Chose My Agency: Jay Bruce

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Reds right fielder Jay Bruce is a longtime client of Sosnick Cobbe Sports.  I spoke with Jay Monday night about his agency choice.

How he first came into contact with Sosnick Cobbe Sports:

I spoke with some guys from around Beaumont, Jason Tyner and Kevin Millar, they told me I should start speaking with advisors [prior to the 2005 draft]. First guy on that list was Toby Trotter from Sosnick Cobbe Sports. And this was before all the hoopla started, all the big games and national scouting combines. They were one of the first groups to come in. I was a little bit under the radar. I met with Toby, and everything about him pretty much added up to me to a guy I wanted to work with.

On being advised by the Boras Corporation prior to Sosnick Cobbe:

I also interviewed ACES and the Boras Corporation. Everyone knows who Scott Boras is. Boras is known for having the biggest players in the game, the most heralded players in the game. Being a 17 or 18-year-old naive high school student, I went with the name.  A couple of months before the draft, a lot of scouts came up to me at the Texas Scouting Association game, and told me, "We just want to let you know that you are probably cutting out a third to half of the teams in baseball by choosing Scott Boras." I started thinking about it, and I went home, talked to my parents, and they said, "You have to go with your gut. If baseball is what you really want to pursue out of high school, then you probably need to re-evaluate your choice." I thought about it, and I'm still kind of ashamed to this day, my mom called Jim Pizzolatto [his contact at the Boras Corporation] and let him know that I was going to switch agencies. I still see Jim sometimes and we're very cordial, and I don't think there's any hard feelings.

On why Boras didn't work for him:

This is no slight on Scott at all or anything that they did, because they are one of if not the best at doing their job for their players.  It wasn't anything necessarily that they did wrong, but I wanted to take a different approach to the way I "marketed" myself, because they didn't want me hitting for any scouts, they didn't want me filling out any information, they were really really pushing me to go to college. Some guys, that works great for. But I wanted to give myself the chance to be drafted as highly as I could, and they didn't need to push me to go to college, because had I not gotten drafted in the first round out of high school, I was going to college. I signed a letter of intent to go to Tulane University, and I was going to honor that. I had no problem going to college.

It was just not as open of a relationship as I would have liked. They just didn't seem like the way that I wanted to represent myself, they didn't sit well with me. I like talking to people, I like really giving people the impression of myself, from myself. I like people to know what they're getting. They want to keep the distance with high schoolers, I think, between the scouts and the player. Which for a lot of guys, it works, but I just wanted to give myself the opportunity to make the best impression I could on all these people.   They never did anything wrong to me, but I just decided to go back to Sosnick Cobbe. They made the best impression, and they were straightforward. It became a relationship that kind of transcended business a little bit. A lot of people don't like to mix business with friendship, but if I can trust someone that I consider a friend, I can trust them to do business.

On how Matt Sosnick retained Jay's business after Toby Trotter left the agency:

After the draft, I was in the airport going to instructional league. Toby and Matt called me up. Toby said "Hey Jay, I just want to let you know that I'm leaving the agency." He had prayed a lot about it and decided he wanted to do something else. Matt said, "I want to let you know that I am going to be the guy you deal with now." If it wasn't for Matt being on the phone, I probably would have switched agencies and been done with it.

He made me feel like I was a priority. Matt was on the phone and made it an easy decision for me, and that was the true start of what I consider a great relationship both on and off the field. That showed how Matt is as a person. That means a lot to me. He takes a genuine interest in my family and really goes beyond the job description. That's important to me, but it's not important to some people and I completely respect that. I really value my relationship with Matt, and he's also done a great job, so it works out. I definitely understand that if he didn't do a great job for me and we were friends, it would be a little tougher to move on or even have that conversation. I consider him a friend, but he does an unbelievable job with contract negotiations.

On the six-year, $51MM extension Bruce signed with the Reds in 2010:

I was interested in getting something worked out. It kind of became more of a trend, teams locking guys up. I talked to Matt, and he had pretty amicable talks with the Reds. Matt has a very good understanding as far as the numbers and comps and stuff like that. He did a good job and communicated with the Reds well and was really up front with them and let them know I wanted to get something done. The Reds were accommodating as well. Matt relayed what I wanted to them and we got the deal done.

I signed the contract extension with the Reds, and Matt provided the information that allowed me to make a decision that I felt was right.  Matt does a good job of providing information that allows you to make a decision on your own, and that's something that I really like.

On Jay's relationship with Matt and the agency:

The personal side of it is as important to me as the business. I enjoy working with him as a person and I enjoy our relationship as friends, too. Anyone who has talked to Matt knows, he's an incredibly bright human being. He provides me a lot of perspective on things that otherwise I might not even really know about. I think over the years we've created a relationship with a very open line of communication. Over the years he's been an open book and so have I. There's no beating around the bush.

I wasn't just a number, and that was huge to me. That's how I conduct my life. It's an extension of yourself. If people deal with Sosnick Cobbe Sports, and they know that I deal with them, I want them to say, "Oh, that's Jay Bruce's agency. I can see why.

On big vs. small agencies:

A lot of times, the agent and the player don't have much of a relationship outside the business part of it. And if you don't have a contract, there's really not a ton the agent does. They facilitate endorsement deals, but as far as the day-to-day stuff, there's really not a ton to talk about. I never talked to Scott Boras when I had them. If you take the baseball part out of it and think about small companies vs. big corporations, there's more personal service at a small company. I think quality at the smaller agencies has probably gotten much better over the years because the information available to them now is a lot more than it was.

It's hard to go away from the big agencies. It's hard to not go with the proven names of the industry. I'm glad that I gave Matt and those guys a chance and I'm glad that they sought me out as well. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Check out our first entry in the Why I Chose My Agency series, where Matt Holliday discussed his relationship with Boras.

Indians Notes: Choo, Antonetti, Bourn

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Earlier this week, we learned that the Indians were finalists to sign Edwin Jackson before he hooked on with the Cubs this winter.  They may not have been able to top the offer from Chicago, but the Tribe has had an extremely busy offseason nonetheless.  Here's more out of Cleveland..

  • Most traded players exchange a few words with their GM before moving on to their next team but Shin-Soo Choo felt compelled to send Chris Antonetti a moving letter when he was sent to the Reds, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  Choo is being asked to move to center field in Cincinnati but he implied to Rosenthal that a swap with Jay Bruce is still possible.
  • The new-look Indians remind MLB.com's Barry M. Bloom of the club's teams from the mid-90s.  While Cleveland's starting pitching could be stronger, there is a lot of optimism surrounding the club and their improved offense.
  • It will take time for the aggressive Michael Bourn to get acclimated with his outfield mates in Cleveland and vice versa, writes Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Reds, Gonzalez

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The latest links from the NL Central…

  • Pirates manager Clint Hurdle deserves to keep his job, but hasn’t yet earned an extension in the view of Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The Pirates have officially extended Hurdle, a move that “seems unnecessary” to Morosi given the Pirates’ late-season struggles in 2011-12.
  • Talent evaluators are doubtful Shin-Soo Choo can provide average center field defense, Jim Bowden of ESPN.com reports. Bowden, the former GM of the Reds, suggests Jay Bruce would shift to center field if Choo struggles. The Reds acquired Choo from the Indians in a three-team trade earlier this winter.
  • Alex Gonzalez has played 13,207 2/3 innings of defense at the MLB level, and all of them have been at shortstop. Yet Gonzalez could play at first base this year, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports. The Brewers, who signed Gonzalez to a one-year deal earlier this month, have two injured first basemen in Corey Hart and Mat Gamel. Manager Ron Roenicke said he hopes Gonzalez embraces a utility role with the team. “If he’s wanting to play a long time, then he needs to be a utility man that can play all positions,” Roenicke said.

Central Notes: Cubs, Brewers, Gamel, Chapman, Reds

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A look at the Central divisions..

  • There are six or seven teams in the eastern or central divisions to which Alfonso Soriano would accept a trade, writes Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com. The long-time Cubs outfielder made it clear last summer that he would not have accepted a potential trade to the Giants. Soriano told reporters that the Cubs know which teams he'd prefer, but stated multiple times that his first priority is to win in Chicago.
  • Brewers manager Ron Roenicke announced today that Mat Gamel, who was sidelined for the final five months of the 2012 season with a torn ACL, will miss all of the 2013 season, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.  The Brewers were already thin at first base thanks to Corey Hart's injury.  They plan to cover with in-house options, but GM Doug Melvin will look for outside options as well.  McCalvy suggests (on Twitter) that they could consider the recently DFA'd Mike Carp and Daric Barton of the A's.
  • Craig Fehrman of Cincinnati Magazine profiled Aroldis Chapman and the journey that brought the left-hander to the Reds.  The piece includes Chapman's daring move to defect from Cuba and the unique events that led him to changing representation while auditioning for teams.
  • The Twins are not among the clubs that have expressed interest in Mark Prior, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter).  Prior is working on strengthening his shoulder in an attempt to hook on with a team in spring training.

Steve Adams contributed to this post.

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