Jackie Bradley, Jr. says Scott Boras doesn't tell players what to do
Sam Galanis
Contributing Writer
We all know Jackie Bradley, Jr., or JBJ as he’s more affectionately known. He’s the rookie who Sox fans were instantly obsessed with. He’s the humble young man who took his family to, of all places, an Applebee’s in Times Square to celebrate his first win.
But would you trust him if he said that money hungry mega-agent Scott Boras isn’t all that bad?
Well, it turns out that’s exactly what Bradley, who is represented by Boras, thinks. While Boras may famously (or infamously) seem to steer players away from teams and successfully demand some of the biggest contracts in sports history, Bradley said that Boras isn’t the maniacal mastermind that everyone thinks he is.
“It’s a misconception that he tells a player what to do,” Bradley told the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. “When I came out of college, Scott gave me the information and I decided what I wanted to do. I have a good time talking to him because he knows a lot of people and a lot of different things. If you want to know what’s going on, he’ll tell you.”
Bradley, Stephen Drew, and Jacoby Ellsbury are all clients of Boras, so the Red Sox have experience dealing with him. Even Ben Cherington offered some kind words to Abraham about Boras.
“Scott has built a business over a long period of time for a reason,” Cherington said. “Smart guy, a lot of smart guys working for him, works extremely hard. Knows the game. He was a player and has been around the game a long time. You can have a baseball conversation with him, a meaningful baseball conversation with him. Those are things that we enjoy.”
Maybe it’s just easy to blame Boras because the 61-year-old agent was the first agent to negotiate contracts of more than $50 million and $100 million. He was also the one behind Alex Rodriguez’s record-breaking $200 million deal. With a history like that, it’s easy to label him a crook, but Boras himself told the Globe that he’s not in it for the negotiations.
“I enjoy evaluating players the most. I enjoy watching them play and helping them take on the game psychologically,” Boras said. “Helping them play well is the most fun. The negotiating part, not as much.”
So maybe Boras is as bad as everyone says, or maybe he’s a scapegoat for players who leave their teams on their own with a mission for more money. But because Boras isn’t going to reveal what he discusses with players, we’re just going to have to decide what to do with Bradley’s word on our own.
Comment or follow me @_SamMG
Contributing Writer
We all know Jackie Bradley, Jr., or JBJ as he’s more affectionately known. He’s the rookie who Sox fans were instantly obsessed with. He’s the humble young man who took his family to, of all places, an Applebee’s in Times Square to celebrate his first win.
But would you trust him if he said that money hungry mega-agent Scott Boras isn’t all that bad?
Well, it turns out that’s exactly what Bradley, who is represented by Boras, thinks. While Boras may famously (or infamously) seem to steer players away from teams and successfully demand some of the biggest contracts in sports history, Bradley said that Boras isn’t the maniacal mastermind that everyone thinks he is.
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| AP Photo/Paul Sancya |
Bradley, Stephen Drew, and Jacoby Ellsbury are all clients of Boras, so the Red Sox have experience dealing with him. Even Ben Cherington offered some kind words to Abraham about Boras.
“Scott has built a business over a long period of time for a reason,” Cherington said. “Smart guy, a lot of smart guys working for him, works extremely hard. Knows the game. He was a player and has been around the game a long time. You can have a baseball conversation with him, a meaningful baseball conversation with him. Those are things that we enjoy.”
Maybe it’s just easy to blame Boras because the 61-year-old agent was the first agent to negotiate contracts of more than $50 million and $100 million. He was also the one behind Alex Rodriguez’s record-breaking $200 million deal. With a history like that, it’s easy to label him a crook, but Boras himself told the Globe that he’s not in it for the negotiations.
“I enjoy evaluating players the most. I enjoy watching them play and helping them take on the game psychologically,” Boras said. “Helping them play well is the most fun. The negotiating part, not as much.”
So maybe Boras is as bad as everyone says, or maybe he’s a scapegoat for players who leave their teams on their own with a mission for more money. But because Boras isn’t going to reveal what he discusses with players, we’re just going to have to decide what to do with Bradley’s word on our own.
Comment or follow me @_SamMG
