The Interview
Scott Boras
MEGA-AGENT
A-Rod's rep just got Manny Ramirez a two-year, $45 million deal from the Dodgers
DP: The Manny deal came four months after the Dodgers' initial offer. What was the holdup?
SB: Manny wanted to be somewhere for a long period, four years. He wanted to find a home for himself and achieve his goal of getting 3,000 hits—and most importantly be a place where he was really comfortable. Los Angeles met that, and Manny gave me direction that he wanted me to focus on getting a contract done, until the point came that he thought we couldn't. Then he wanted to look somewhere else.
DP: But was anybody offering a better deal than two years, $45 million?
SB: Of course teams called, and if we wanted to pursue other negotiations, I'm sure we could have.
DP: Yeah, but give me an idea of those....
SB: I never do that, Dan. I keep my conversations confidential.
DP: How would you grade yourself on this deal?
SB: What I grade myself on is my client's happiness. And based upon Thursday, when Manny got there and you saw the exuberance....
DP: He's always like that, Scott.
SB: In Boston, I never saw this personality. Manny's reaching out to the press, he's gregarious. He certainly was this way with his teammates, but you never saw this visible to the public.
DP: Did you offer Alex Rodriguez advice about how to handle his interview with Peter Gammons after the news of his steroids test?
SB: I was not with Alex in Miami while this was going on, but I will tell you that I am pleased that Alex admitted that he made a mistake.
DP: As an agent for these guys, is it your job to know if they use performance-enhancing drugs?
SB: I would like to say no.
DP: Did you have any hint?
SB: Alex said it best when he said he and his cousin were the only ones who knew.
DP: If you're in your office and your secretary tells you Manny is on one line and Alex is on the other, which one do you take?
SB: Conference call.
The Art of the Deal
SO WHAT does the guy who signed Manny Ramirez (above) think of the deal? Dodgers G.M. Ned Colletti came on the show shortly after Scott Boras did. Colletti said he knew as soon as he made his initial offer in November that he was in for a protracted negotiation; that's just the way it goes with Boras. Talks really slowed down when Boras claimed that Manny was entertaining other offers and might walk. "I thought there was some possibility," Colletti said. "But Scott's great at trying to create leverage even if he doesn't have it. In January he intimated that there was a lot of action that had to be sorted out quickly. We decided to wait and see, knowing that Manny had an interest in staying in L.A." Does that mean he called Boras's bluff? "I guess maybe we did, to some extent," said Colletti. It was a bold move, especially given Colletti's admission that "we didn't really have a plan B."
Shuffling Cards?
BEFORE HE signed a two-year, $23 million extension with the Cardinals last week, Kurt Warner said he'd take less money if helped the team re-sign disgruntled receiver Anquan Boldin. But Warner told me that the prospect of a discount never came up in his talks. He's still optimistic that Arizona will retain Boldin while conceding that "there are still some issues" between Boldin and the team. One thing that shouldn't be an issue for Boldin: being overshadowed. When I asked Warner if Larry Fitzgerald is his "Number 1" target, he was adamant: "Never. With certain routes he's my Number 1 guy, but I have that with Q as well. They're different at what they do."
Newlywed Bliss
BUFFALO MADE a bold move by signing Terrell Owens to a one-year, $6.5 million contract. Sure, there will be some T.O.-related drama, but if nothing else, he brings some buzz to what has been a dreary franchise. And as Peter King pointed out on my Monday-morning show, Owens has a history of behaving and playing well in his first season in a new home. "It's always a honeymoon early with T.O.," he said.
THE FINE PRINT: The Bobcats have won six in a row. Larry Brown is so encouraged, he's thinking about unpacking.
Go to DANPATRICK.COM for more from Scott Boras and other recent interviews, and hear live audio of Dan's radio show, 9 a.m.--noon ET, Mon.--Fri.
ILLUSTRATION
ILLUSTRATION BY KEITH WITMER
PHOTO
JON SOOHOO/LOS ANGELES DODGERS 2009 (RAMIREZ)
PHOTO
JOHN BIEVER (WARNER)
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KEVORK DJANSEZIAN/GETTY IMAGES (BORAS)
