Agent Scott Boras, key to Detroit Tigers’ success – MLB Update
A healthy relationship with agent Scott Boras has proved to be very beneficial for Detroit Tigers’ owner Mike Ilitch. Not too long ago, the Tigers were considered the underdogs in the American League but everything changed after they started to work with
Boras, who made significant contributions to help the Tigers become one of the American Leagues’ elite franchises.
Boras, who is baseball’s most influential and powerful, agent provided the Tigers with some of the finest hitters and pitchers after both parties started to work together. Even General Manager Dave Dombrowski acknowledged he played a big part in Tigers’
American League Championship Series winning campaign last season.
With baseball’s Winter Meetings taking place in Nashville, Boras will prepare his team of 10 assistants with some computer data, a team library, players’ medical and conditioning history record and authentic data to convince the owners.
"I just laugh at it. I don't give it any credence whatsoever," says Mike Rizzo, who believes any outsider credited for teams’ success is a joke. "That stuff doesn't upset me. Anybody who knows me ... knows that all of the decisions here are made by me and
my staff. Nobody is pulling any strings here. Nobody was taking credit when we were winning 69 games."
Although many baseball and senior media icons talk against it, Boras’ ability to negotiate deals with the GM’s is renowned. Since 1980, he has negotiated nearly $5 billion in contracts, making him the most wealthy baseball agent in the history of the game.
However, what made him so successful is the fact he delivered what he promised.
“He knows this team better than I do. I get a lot of good information from him. He's an encyclopaedia. He's extremely knowledgeable," Tigers’ owner Mike Ilitch acknowledged.
Some teams do not think of doing business with Boras as they find him very unbending. However, the teams that have learned how to do business with him have gained considerably from Boras. The Tigers will be thankful to him as five of his clients including
$214 million slugger Prince Fielder helped the Tigers finish the season as World Series finalist. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers sign on a few more of Boras’ clients during this year’s Winter Meetings.
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