Bryant sent to minors/called up

[h2oface]

 

Not all of them were with Boras when their deal was signed, but even then, the words I chose were intentional "nearly all".  He has taken nearly all of his clients to free agency.  You found 8 of the thousands of clients he represents.

Boras represents thousands? Plural... thousands? Can you show me that list? I would be surprised to see if it was even more than one hundred. Maybe you mean in his lifetime, and not just who he represents now?

[biggentleben]

 

Boras represents thousands? Plural... thousands? Can you show me that list? I would be surprised to see if it was even more than one hundred. Maybe you mean in his lifetime, and not just who he represents now?

 

Yes, I meant thousands over the course of his career, and yes, many never make the major leagues, but I'm talking about those who he has taken to the majors and to free agency.

 

I'm probably still bitter about it, but when they had the old arbitration system, the Braves went to Greg Maddux with a 4 year deal hoping to have him end his career in Atlanta.  The reported number was $55M with two option years, so really 4/$50M with two option years that had $5M buyouts.  Boras wanted to go to free agency, and he did take the arbitration amount both years ($13M and $14.75M) before the Braves didn't offer it and he ended up playing for $6M and $9M for the Cubs in what would have been the final two guaranteed years of the deal. So he got $42.75M for those four years instead of $55M, and he ended up bouncing around the I would never again have a problem with a Boras client getting "stuck" by a team.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Someone, who IS a member of the MLBPA, will lose his MLB job if/when Bryant makes a 25 man roster.  

 

It's questionable at best, unethical at worst, for the MLBPA to advocate for a non member over a member.  While using the member's dues to do that, to boot.  Same thing for the 40 man roster...some dues paying member is going to lose his spot.

It's an interesting curiosity, but the MLBPA and the industry of major league professional sports is quite different than the local UAW plant.  And neither MLB nor the MLBPA is to blame for that fact, it's just the nature of the beast.

 

If it makes you feel any better, the grievance may not be filed (and probably won't be decided) until Bryant is actually called up to the MLB roster, so he WILL be a union member with a retroactive grievance.  But either way, Bryant's case of compensation suppression has far greater effects on the union membership as a whole than a simple routine player release or optional assignment.  It would be like a union challenging a company on discriminatory hiring practices, even though those new hires would technically replace/displace current union members.  Of course, the union would also have the right to challenge the replacing/displacing of current workers if they felt there was anything untoward about those moves too.

 

 

I have no problem with what the Cubs are doing, and no problem with a union grievance.  Both are permissible and make sense in the current system.  My disappointment is merely with the system that causes the issue in the first place.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Yes, I meant thousands over the course of his career, and yes, many never make the major leagues, but I'm talking about those who he has taken to the majors and to free agency.

In the absence of a better resource on the matter, Wikipedia lists 96 current MLB clients for Boras, of which maybe 25% have ever been offered long-term extensions.  Plus about 18 retired clients, of whom maybe 50% were ever extension worthy.  That's about 35 guys.  So a quick Google search finding 8 of those who signed deals buying out FA years seems notable.

 

I'm probably still bitter about it, but when they had the old arbitration system, the Braves went to Greg Maddux with a 4 year deal hoping to have him end his career in Atlanta.  The reported number was $55M with two option years, so really 4/$50M with two option years that had $5M buyouts.  Boras wanted to go to free agency, and he did take the arbitration amount both years ($13M and $14.75M) before the Braves didn't offer it and he ended up playing for $6M and $9M for the Cubs in what would have been the final two guaranteed years of the deal. So he got $42.75M for those four years instead of $55M, and he ended up bouncing around the I would never again have a problem with a Boras client getting "stuck" by a team.

So Boras negotiated TWO separate long-term (5 year) deals for Maddux to pitch for Atlanta (in 1992 and 1998) -- and you're bitter that he didn't agree to sign a third?

[biggentleben]

 

 

 

So Boras negotiated TWO separate long-term (5 year) deals for Maddux to pitch for Atlanta (in 1992 and 1998) -- and you're bitter that he didn't agree to sign a third?

 

Absolutely.  Fandom doesn't have to be rational.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Absolutely.  Fandom doesn't have to be rational.

And that is something I can agree with, 100%.  

[Squirrel]

Bryant is up and playing in his first game today. Lots of local pressure on him. This is the year for the Cubs, after all!

[tobi0040]

 

Bryant is up and playing in his first game today. Lots of local pressure on him. This is the year for the Cubs, after all!

 

Glad he was able to work out those kinks in the minors and now he is ready.

[Seth Stohs]

Ironically 12 days later...

 

He's 0-3 with 3 strikeouts against James Shields so far today.

[tobi0040]

 

Ironically 12 days later...

 

He's 0-3 with 3 strikeouts against James Shields so far today.

 

Send him down.

[Rosterman]

And, of course, if you don't produce, I believe the club has an option to send you down to the minors repeatedly during your first four years on the 40-man. 

 

I can argue about the downside of this system. The Twins have both Hicks and Arcia who are getting major league playing time, often because there is no other alternative than to keep them on the major league roster and have them play everyday. The only option for sending them out, no matter how bad, is if you have a suitable replacement. 

 

At least, unless they both perform wonderfully in their year before arbitration, they won't be expensive out of the box. 

 

 

 

[zenser]

There is no joy in Wrigleyville for might Kris struck out (3 times)!

[big dog]

He is up at least partly because two infielders are on the DL. After 3 k's the Padres walked Rizzo with two outs to get to Bryant. Routine grounder inning over.

[Hrbowski]

The Cubs fans have no reason to be worried, after all, didn't Hank Greenberg not get a hit in his first year in the majors?

[biggentleben]

 

The Cubs fans have no reason to be worried, after all, didn't Hank Greenberg not get a hit in his first year in the majors?

 

Greenberg had one plate appearance at 19 years old and then didn't come back up until he was 22, when he went .301/.367/.468, so I don't think he's who you were thinking of...

[Hrbowski]

 

Greenberg had one plate appearance at 19 years old and then didn't come back up until he was 22, when he went .301/.367/.468, so I don't think he's who you were thinking of...

Oh well, the first game means nothing about the next 15-20 years.

[ashbury]

 

Send him down.

Hopefully for just a week or less. To get those kinks out again.

[gil4]

 

The business of baseball has always sucked. Segregation, free agency, lockouts, etc. The owners are pigs. Someday, maybe the fans can actually own the teams as a fan cooperative. I doubt it though.  

 

I like baseball. All baseball. I hope the Cubs make it to the playoffs this year. I hope they win it soon.

 

When we own the team as a co-op, I vote that we keep him down in the minors until we get an extra year of service time.

[gil4]

 

Send him down.

I thought maybe they had.  Apparently the date next to the headline on the home page sidebar is the date of the last post, not the date of the article.  I saw the headline  "Bryant sent to minors, Today, 07:03 PM"...

[kab21]

I almost think that Epstein did this so that so much outrage occurs that it becomes a topic during the next CBA.

[biggentleben]

Absolutely.  Rile up the MLBPA on this issue, get an international draft out of it.