With scores of minor leaguers being released over the past few weeks, Scott Boras had stepped up to pay a few salaries. Then he was asked not to.
Hundreds if not just under a thousand minor league baseball players found themselves unemployed as a result of the shutdown recently. For those who were represented by Scott Boras, they seemed to be catching a break when he offered to pay them. The MPBPA said, no dice.
Boras is the mega agent who negotiated over $1B worth of contracts this offseason for major league free agents. He was also an aspiring minor league player at one point in his career as well, so he knows the paycheck to paycheck mentality most of these players are faced with.
The players union has disallowed Boras from reimbursing his released minor leaguers as intended. Boras will instead give the money to VoteRiders, a charity dedicated to ensuring every eligible voter has the proper documentation to vote and is able to @Ken_Rosenthal 1st mentioned https://t.co/uBz4MUmYF4
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 9, 2020
Having come a long way from those days, the most influential agent in the game was poised to support his clients through this tough financial time.
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The Major League Baseball Player’s Association stepped in and asked him not to get involved, for a couple of reasons. It’s against the rules for starters. Also, this could potentially give Boras a leg up in recruiting or retaining baseball clients in the future.
Instead, the money will be going to VoteRiders, a non-profit organization that helps citizens vote.
As far as polishing his image, Scott Boras has come a long way. He has been vocal during these negotiations, which led to Trevor Bauer voicing his opinion on the matter of Boras meddling in such affairs. This gesture though seems nothing outside of generous.
Props to Boras for trying to help, even though he most likely knew he would be stopped. We like to think his heart was in the right place and this wasn’t just another ploy to get his name in the media. I’m not even sure I can name another baseball agent, outside of Brodie Van Wagenen, who is now the current General Manager of the New York Mets.
Boras seems to put his name in the headlines, though in this aspect, it’s for an admirable reason.