According to a report on MLB.com, prize free agent slugger Prince Fielder and his agent, Scott Boras, were in the District this week to meet with Nationals ownership and general manager Mike Rizzo. I wonder whether they met at Boras’ office at Nationals Park.
Boras seemingly has become a long lost child of the Lerner family — perhaps replacing former general manager Jim Bowden, who left the family in disgrace several years ago.
Talking to a rival team official this winter, I asked whether he believed the Nationals would pursue highly touted Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, a center fielder. The executive answered, “Is he a Boras client?”
For the record, he is not, though that doesn’t mean the Nationals aren’t interested in him.
Industry jokes aside, the working relationship between Boras and Rizzo has had its benefits.
Consider that if Fielder does sign with the Nationals — with a deal expected to surpass the $127 million Jayson Werth got last winter — in several years Boras likely will represent more than half of the team’s payroll.
Don’t forget, in addition to Fielder and Werth, Boras represents Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper. If you figure those two players could be earning between $15 million and $20 million each in their years of arbitration if they perform as expected, Boras might as well get that office at Nationals Park just to count all the money.
Boras saw dollar signs in Washington long before the Lerner family arrived. More than seven years ago, shortly after it was announced the Expos were moving to Washington, the agent believed the streets of the District would be paved with gold.
“It will be a raving success,” Boras predicted at the November 2004 general manager meetings. “I think it will be the darling of the National League. Players and families will want to come to that city. It will be a big destination spot.”
Who knew he may have meant the Nationals would be a raving success — for Boras? Who knew the Nationals would become the darlings of the National League — for Boras? Who could have known that when he predicted Washington would be a big destination spot, he was mapping out the future for his clients?
Is it the future for Fielder? I suspect this is the place — like Werth — he will get the best deal. It would change the dynamic of the Nationals in this town and create a three-tiered buzz, along with Strasburg and Harper, when spring training opens next month — a buzz engineered in part by Boras.
That’s the least a member of the family can do.
Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of “The Sports Fix” from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at [email protected].
