Sources: Boras asked Dodgers to increase offer to $55 million
And that, according to two well-placed sources with knowledge of the situation, is where the whole thing broke down. This sources also said Boras never openly objected to any proposal by the Dodgers of deferred money, which general manager Ned Colletti said earlier this morning has been part of all three of the formal contract offers the Dodgers have made to Ramirez this winter.
Here's the story, as I understand it:
At the end of Wednesday's meeting at Dodger Stadium, it was made clear to Boras that while there was no firm deadline, club officials expected to hear back from him in response to their two-year, $45 million offer, and that they only wanted to hear one of two possible answers: yes or no.
Instead, Boras came back to them with a counter proposal of increasing the offer to two years and $55 million, a deal that would carry an average annual value of $27.5 million -- the exact same AAV carried by the 10-year, $275 million contract of Alex Rodriguez, another Boras client. Because the deferred money would be deferred WITHOUT INTEREST, the extra $10 million would theoretically offset the absence of interest on the deferred money.
There is a precedent for money deferred without interest because of a portion of the one-year, $3.38 million contract free-agent second baseman Orlando Hudson signed with the Dodgers last weekend is also largely deferred without interest.
Given that the Dodgers already believed they were offering $45 million MORE THAN ANY OTHER TEAM HAD OFFERED RAMIREZ, there was no way they were going to increase their offer by another $10 million. So the Dodgers pulled their offer, and there is presently NO OFFER ON THE TABLE. And the perception that the two sides have now agreed on the value of the deal, two years and $45 million, and are now only haggling on the amount of deferred money, is totally false, according to these sources.
The negotiations are presently at square one: meaning no offer on the table. Dodgers are still interested in signing the player and still interested in negotiating. But it doesn't look like this is headed for a quick resolution.
I can just hear Paul Harvey in the background saying, "And now you know the rest of the story."
Now, is this well placed person a Dodger employee or someone affiliated with Boras, or an independent observer? Reason I ask is that I wouldn't put it past Ned and Frank to make something like this up just to cover their tracks knowing that Boras has 0% credibility with the fans. If this is just a smoke screen to make themselves look good, then they are more pathetic than I had originally thought.
Wow...you mean there was actually more to the story?
While I don't blame Manny for trying to get paid, I don't blame the McCourts either for trying to make this deal on their terms - especially with nobody else currently making any offers.
In my mind, the player option for year 2 is a BIG concession of HUGE value to the player (just ask Derek Lowe). And in exchange for that, I don't think the Dodgers are out of line looking to defer money. It has nothing to do with being cheap (which, by the way, I don't fully understand the argument that McCourt is cheap - he's no Yankess or Red Sox, but he still doesn't seem to be overly miserly with the money).
Perhaps the Dodgers can pay a little more up-front, and then keep the option on year 2. Given that the Dodgers are the only team making offers, why in the world should they 1) Pay all the money up-front, 2)give Manny a player option for year 2, and 3) pay $10mm more than their original best-in-show offer? That would be bad business (which is what would actually make me mad at McCourt - like the Schmidt signing). If the only reason to pay Manny that much more is to keep him happy and to prevent him from being a cancer, then I'd question whether his skills are worth it to begin with.
I'm sure its from the Dodgers side of things since Boras wouldn't want this info leaked. He himself was the one that mentioned he would take the 2/45, he never brought up the 2/55. There always two sides to the story i guess. Eventually Manny will be a Dodger but at what cost? will fans take any of this into consideration when they cheer for him in a month? or will we just forget as soon as he signed up?
Uhh...I meant to say "Just ask JD Drew", not Derek Lowe.
I don't know if I believe this because I don't think Boras is dumb enough to ask for A-Rod money. Manny aint on the track to hit 763 so get real.........and with that large point I can't believe this source.
I say we lock 'em all up in a conference room with a lot of coffee and no bathrooms. Can't come out until the deal is done.
At what point do the Dogers just walk away?
"I don't think Boras is dumb enough to ask for A-Rod money. Manny aint on the track to hit 763 so get real."
First of all, it's not about what Manny's on track for over the course of his career, it's about what we can expect out of him over the next two years -- and no, Manny's numbers don't stack up. Over the past five years, A-Rod has averaged 41.6 HRs and 138 RBIs and Manny 36 and 117.
Secondly, Uh, Boras has repeatedly said that Manny should be one of the two highest-payed players in the game. Odds are that's why he wanted to deal with any offers for Manny until Teixeira was signed ... so he could see if he could raise the bar.
While it's hard to believe the rumors (or even the statements) from either camp, I can so see Boras saying he'd take one thing in public and then demanding more in private negotiations as "penalty" for the deferred money.
"I say we lock 'em all up in a conference room with a lot of coffee and no bathrooms. Can't come out until the deal is done."
You know that Boras would be the only guy in there wearing Depend undergarments.
the bottomline is as follows:
boras wants either
09: $25MM; 10: $20MM
or
09: $15MM; 10: $15MM; 11: $10MM; 12: $10MM; 13: $5MM
colletti wants either
09: $25MM
or
09: $10MM; 10: $10MM; 11: $10MM; 12: $10MM; 13: $5MM
Since this obviously came from the Dodgers, what do you think the point was of giving you the story not for attribution? Outside of the source's not wanting to take personal responsibility for the veracity of it, I mean.
NOBODY works the media through anonymous sources and leaks like Scott Boras, but you guys criticize the Dodgers if they do it?
The Cult of Manny lives...
There's a point when Boras does it. It's easy to see what he gets out of it. I don't like it any better, but it makes sense. What's the point, here? There's no question where this came from. How does keeping Rawitch's name off it advance anybody's interest?
Are owners and GMs enjoying the idea of Boras coming up empty-handed? Maybe that's why no one else is showing any interest in his client.
Both sides are so dysfunctional. McCourt is cheap & disingenuous, Boras/Manny greedy & deceptive. The fans suffer.