Scott Boras says MLB players are 'emboldened with truth' for offseason war

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LAS VEGAS — For a few minutes Wednesday it was as if the security folks at the Aria Resort & Casino thought the baseball lockout already began.

Veteran agent Scott Boras, who traditionally speaks to the media gathering at the annual General Manager meetings, set up a press conference for more than 100 reporters, complete with a Boras Corporation backdrop, only for hotel security to intervene and let his staff know it couldn't occur on the second floor of the hotel near the convention center.

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It was shifted to the first floor, away from the meeting rooms. First on the north side of the hall, and then shifted to the south side.

Finally, after about a 15-minute delay, it began with Boras speaking for 52 minutes about his own clients, particularly two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, the urgency that many deals will be done before the Dec. 1 lockout, and then expressed his vehement opposition against the idea of a salary cap.

The most humorous moment came not with Boras’ puns, but when his cell phone rang while speaking. He looked at his cell phone, moved the ringer to silent, and said, “Just another owner begging to meet with Skubal."

The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays already have confirmed appointments.

Boras expects Skubal to sign before the Dec. 1 lockout knowing that if there’s a salary cap, or at least further tax restrictions, it’s better to land a deal now while there’s uncertainty on how the landscape will look in the future.

Yes, and it starts with Skubal, who’s seeking a deal that will exceed $325 million, making him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history. Boras compared Skubal to marquee free-agent starting pitchers who led their teams to World Series championships. from Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson to Kevin Brown to Max Scherzer.

“It's very clear that there is a dominant and strong 'Sku-bull' market," Boras said, opening with his array of puns. “That's one thing you know it's pretty clear teams are not devoid of pursuing their championship fortunes, and they understand there's only one tarot card, no doubt.

“I think that if you look into the deep waters of talent treasure, teams are there. There's no time to come up for air, and so teams have filled their tanks, and they're all clearly ready for the scuba dive, no doubt."

And, yes, that means signing before the 11:59 p.m. lockout Dec. 1, instead of waiting until whenever the lockout ends.

“I would say much like 2021," Boras said, referring to the 99-day lockout, “there's a clear intent on a group of players. Teams are going to operate within the abilities and freedoms because they don't want to lose to their competitors. They want the market to be what it is for them, and they're utilizing their rights to compete.

“I think they're very concerned about losing the opportunity to sign select key players, and they're pursuing it aggressively."

And while Skubal will command perhaps three times more than any free agent of the market, Boras is trying to convince owners it will not only greatly improve their team’s chances of winning, but greatly enhance their franchise value.

“When you go back and look at all of these true No. 1s," Boras said, “they've all led to world championships, and that's kind of what teams are about. If we look over a 30- or 40-year period, we might have less than 10 of these aces that are capable of winning multiple Cy Youngs and have the ability to allow a franchise to clearly have an opportunity to win a coveted world championship. The math on it is something that's so high that that all of these type unique talents bring you that that opportunity over a period of time.’’

This is why he believes the San Diego Padres, who nearly tripled their payroll in recent years to reach the playoffs in five of the past seven years, and double their attendance under late owner Peter Seidler, will be serious suitors for Skubal and every other marquee free agent under new owners Kwanza Jones and Jose E. Feliciano.

“I think it's good business for any franchise to pursue these players,’’ Boras said. “Your goal is you want success, and you want to raise your franchise values. And you do that with audience, attendance, media ratings, and when you're in the playoff modality, these No. 1 [pitchers] brought teams over a long-standing number of years…

“There are a lot of unfulfilled expectations in this in this league. There are teams that are really, really close. There are teams that have very advanced economic reasons for winning. Now we've seen what the Peter Seidler did in San Diego, a market that is wholly held by everyone to be a small market. …The asset class of our game is documented throughout by genius owners. Genius owners having the freedom, the ability under this system to come in and advance their thoughts, to bring in the wherewithal for them to grow a franchise to its optimum.

“And the system's proven that."

Does MLB need a salary cap?

Boras uses the Padres as proof why there’s no need to overhaul the current collective bargaining agreement with a salary cap, with the Padres selling in August for $3.9 billion after being purchased for $800 million in 2012. He cites the record franchise sells, rising attendance, and soaring TV ratings.

“Players are emboldened by the success of this game,’’ Boras said. “They are standing on truth, absolute truth, of the fact that we have record franchise revenues in every quadrant of the market. We have record viewership. We have record sponsorship. We have record attendance.

“We don't have to guess anymore, like ‘21. We have the truths for players to stand on. They're emboldened with truth and the fact that our game, has reached an Everest of success that has never been reached before under this system. …I think the emboldenment of players and the reasons for it have never been more clear."

And while this year was the first time since 2015 that a small-market team won the World Series with the Milwaukee Brewers winning their first title, Boras insists that it’s not money holding these teams back, but the savvy of their own front offices and coaching staffs. The Brewers have the three-time manager of the year in Pat Murphy and the two-time executive of the year in Matt Arnold.

“There's intellect involved," Boras said. “That's the freedom of having a system that allows you to portray your levels of success, your reasons for success, your equations for success. In the NBA, when you have a great team, they're going to win 80% of the time. In Major League Baseball, it’s 58% to 60%. So our game has a wonderful mystery to it.

“It’s really difficult to believe that Murphy's equation was the sole reason for this, but maybe it was. Maybe it was their culture. Maybe the dynamic. Maybe the growth of those players in the offseason. …What are other organizations not doing, or what do they do differently that allows them to be successful? These are the things that fans enjoy, that everyone enjoys, that the mystery of the game is so complete."

The game is as strong and beautiful as ever before, and while the lockout may slow the momentum, perhaps even costing games in 2027, no matter how long the lockout lasts, Boras insists that the players won’t break, even if it means sacrificing record-setting salaries.

“I wouldn't worry about veteran players who have benefited from the same sacrifices of the players that allowed them the very platform that they benefited from,’’ Boras said. “They are they are the ones that are the most aware of what the emboldenment of player rights, protecting the future. They are recipients of what others did for them. They are in great places in their lives, and they're more than willing to share, contribute, aid, and frankly, stabilize the approach that the veterans took for them to apply to the young players of today.’’

So, just how long will the lockout last?

No one, not even Boras, is willing to make an educated guess.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Scott Boras says MLB players are 'emboldened with truth' for offseason war

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