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MLB: Watch out Scott Boras! Rich Paul is coming to Baseball

By Ryan Sanders

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Sports agent Rich Paul looks on after the game between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Arena on March 11, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The NBA announced tonight the season has been suspended after a Utah Jazz player preliminary tested positive for the coronavirus. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Sports agent Rich Paul looks on after the game between the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets at American Airlines Arena on March 11, 2020 in Miami, Florida. The NBA announced tonight the season has been suspended after a Utah Jazz player preliminary tested positive for the coronavirus. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Klutch Sports, led by the powerful NBA Agent Rich Paul, has acquired Tidal Sports which means the NBA’s most influential agent is coming to the MLB.

Klutch Sports and Rich Paul have acquired Tidal Sports Group which will give the agency its first group of MLB clients. That list includes Alex Bregman, Marcus Stroman, Keston Huira, and top prospect Jarred Kelenic.  Rich Paul is the NBA equivalent of MLB super-agent Scott Boras and this has the potential to be monumental for MLB players.

Paul has an impressive client list that includes players like Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, and John Wall. His two most famous clients are superstars and Lakers teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis, where Paul was instrumental in working behind the scenes to get Davis to LA.

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This is Paul’s second foray into another professional league as his agency expanded into the NFL last September. With Paul entering baseball, Klutch Sports could grow their client base to have the same superstar list and influence that he does in the basketball world.

The NBA competitive landscape and contracts are much different from MLB. The NBA has a hard salary cap, max/supermax contracts, mid-level exceptions, restricted free agency, and a myriad of other technicalities. On the court, top drafted players start immediately in the NBA instead of slogging through the minors. Most importantly, the NBA is a superstar league where one player can alter the course of a franchise. Mike Trout is the best player on earth and has been to the playoffs one time.

There will be challenges for Paul as he enters the MLB space to exert his influence. That being said, Paul could develop a robust enough client list where he could “force” trades to team his clients up and get them in winning situations. Another potentially huge area of impact would be Paul’s influence on the collective bargaining negotiations. With the MLB and MLBPA on the verge of negotiating the next CBA, Paul could influence the addition of more player-friendly concepts from the NBA such as restricted free agency.

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Ultimately, Rich Paul coming to MLB is going to be a good thing for the players. When you have a superstar power broker agent, it leads to better deals, exposure, and outcomes for players. Klutch Sports will likely have MLB owners dialing up NBA counterparts getting the inside scoop on that sports’ most powerful agent.

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