The U.S. sports media “The Athletic” said on the 22nd (Korea time) that “Boras’ time has come” when the destination of the FA pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (25), was decided this winter. The U.S. media reported in unison that “Yamamoto signed a 12-year, $325 million (about 42.5 billion won) contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers already had a big laugh when it secured Shohei Ohtani (29) for 10 years and 700 million U.S. dollars as the biggest free agent in both pitching and hitting, and became the biggest winner in the Stove League after winning the battle against Yamamoto. It also signed a five-year, 135 million-dollar extension contract with Tyler Glasnow (30), a starting pitcher who was recently acquired through a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays. He shelled out 1.16 billion dollars to the three players, Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Glasnow. It is no exaggeration to say that the team has had the most explosive play ever.
Boras is representing major FA clients this winter, but has failed to take on the biggest names such as Ohtani and Yamamoto. Ohtani signed the highest contract in the U.S. professional sports history, and Yamamoto became the highest FA pitcher ever, surpassing Gerrit Cole’s nine-year, $324 million contract. The 12-year contract is the longest ever for a pitcher in the FA history. The “Devil Agent” Boras had no choice but to watch Ohtani and Yamamoto’s historic contract as a third party, which he could not lead.
Boras, who was crouching down a lot, is likely to show off his demonic temperament in earnest. In fact, he already had a chance to make an offer through the deal signed by outfielder Lee Jung-hoo. Not only the Dodgers but also the San Francisco Giants and the Toronto Blue Jays rushed to the last minute to make an offer. Even though San Francisco promised the same 10-year, 700 million dollar deal as the Dodgers, it was not chosen. Moreover, the Dodgers lost the best capability that it can strengthen in the current FA market, which is something that San Francisco must overcome in the National League West. Naturally, the sense of loss was huge.
Boras took advantage of San Francisco’s deep-seated mentality to lead Lee Jung-hoo’s jackpot contract. San Francisco promised Lee Jung-hoo a six-year, $113 million (about 146.9 billion won) contract on the 13th, the day after Ohtani officially announced the contract with the Dodgers. Lee Jung-hoo’s market price was estimated by the U.S. media to be around 50 million dollars (65 billion won) for four years. The U.S. media analyzed that the contract was “overpay” far exceeding the expected amount. 에볼루션 바카라사이트
ESPN reported, “San Francisco Giants, which was aiming for Otani, sought to sign Lee Jung-hoo when Ohtani confirmed his move to the Dodgers. San Francisco tried to recruit major FA players over the past two years, but either failed (Aaron Judge) or was invalidated (Carlos Correa, who agreed to a 13-year contract, but was overturned due to medical testing) and continued to miss out on the market, predicting that it spent a lot of money on Lee.
The Athletic said, “San Francisco couldn’t afford to keep finishing second whenever it bid for the FA they longed for, even if it was for the sake of fans and the club’s mental health. And its super agent Boras is the one who smells amazingly like a team in despair. So it was not a surprise that San Francisco quickly concluded its contract with a Korean star outfielder the day after the team officially missed Ohtani. It was also not a surprise that the team agreed to a six-year, $113 million contract that far exceeded industry expectations.”
Now, Boras is expected to appeal to his clients to the teams that lost in the battle for Yamamoto. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets reached out to the last minute before the fight for Yamamoto, but they failed to overcome the Dodgers’ wall. According to U.S. media, the Yankees offered more than 300 million dollars in terms, and the Mets lost even after offering 12 years and 325 million dollars in terms of contracts before the Dodgers. The fact that the Yankees and the Mets stuck to the end of the battle for Yamamoto also means that they had a strong desire to reinforce top starting pitchers.
The Athletic said Boras still has four customers in the top 40 FA players this winter. They include center fielder Cody Bellinger, left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, and third baseman Matt Chapman. Boras also has two of the most sought-after pitchers in the trade market, Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Sheath and Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Corbin Burns. Boras’ remaining FA players include designated hitters JD Martinez, right-hander Frankie Montas, left-handers Ryu Hyun-jin and Sean Munaya, and James Paxton.
“Boras is well positioned to take advantage of Ohtani and/or the teams that lost the battle for Yamamoto, especially the San Francisco and Boston Red Sox. San Francisco has already signed outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, one of Boras’ customers, for a six-year, $113 million contract. This amount is viewed as overpaying by many in the industry,” he added. The Yankees, who failed to recruit Yamamoto, mentioned Montgomery as a Noril Boras customer. Montgomery made his big league debut with the Yankees in 2017 and stayed with them until the middle of the 2022 season.
The Athletic said, “The Yankees tried unsuccessfully to include Juan Soto (who was traded to Yamamoto). The Yankees offered $300 million to Yamamoto, probably not wanting to offer him more than Cole’s $324 million. However, Cole can opt out after the 2024 season, and if he does, the Yankees will only have to pay him $36 million in his 10th year. That would bring Cole’s total 10-year contract to $360 million, allowing him to overtake Yamamoto. After all, the Yankees have failed to recruit Yamamoto and reportedly discussed internally with Montgomery at least one more starting pitcher. The Yankees are also looking to strengthen their bullpen. “We can’t stop there because we had a very disappointing season this year.”