Major League Baseball

What's left for Boras' top free agents?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:07 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

In more than a quarter-century as a baseball writer, I’ve developed two rules:

*Never proclaim that a game or series is “over” until it actually is over.

*Never bet against Scott Boras getting big money in free agency.

Oh, Boras will miss on occasion — see, Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew, 2014 — but more often he hits, especially on his biggest names.

Which brings us to right-handers Francisco Rodriguez and Rafael Soriano, Boras’ top remaining clients on the free-agent market.

Neither is Max Scherzer. No, both are older relievers — Rodriguez is 33, Soriano 35. And both faded in the closer’s role after blazing starts last season.

Rodriguez, as noted in the Baseball Prospectus annual, allowed no runs for the Brewers in his first 19 outings, then had a 4.22 ERA — and 14 home runs allowed — in his final 49 innings.

Soriano, meanwhile, had a 0.97 ERA for the Nationals before the All-Star break, then collapsed in the second half — perhaps from overuse? — and lost the closer’s role on Sept. 5.

Both are going to find work, no question. But will either fare as well some of the lesser-known free-agent setup men did earlier this offseason?

Forget lefty Andrew Miller, who signed a four-year, $36 million deal with the Yankees — he’s in another category. But Luke Gregerson (three years, $18.5 million, Astros), Pat Neshek (two years, $12.5 million, Astros) and Zach Duke (three years, $15 million, White Sox) all commanded somewhat surprising deals.

Gregerson, 30, is the youngest and most accomplished of that group. But Neshek, 34, and Duke, 31, are relative journeymen who produced their breakout seasons in 2014 only after signing minor-league contracts.

Is it possible that those two will fare better than the more heralded Rodriguez and Soriano?

Boras has worked late magic with Soriano in free agency before, landing a three-year, $35 million contract with the Yankees in Jan. 2011 and then a two-year, $28 million deal with the Nationals in Jan. 2013 after Soriano opted out of his final year in New York.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, is seeking a two-year deal, according to one major-league source. Both the Brewers and Marlins are known to be interested in him, and Boras maintains a strong relationship with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio; the two negotiated a three-year, $33 million contract for free-agent right-hander Kyle Lohse on March 25, 2013.

That deal only reinforced the notion that it’s foolish to bet against Boras. I’ve learned my lesson, many times over. But I sure am curious to see what kinds of deals Rodriguez and Soriano get, and from which teams.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball