Boras Wins Again

Scott Boras has seemingly found another way to circumvent the rules stated in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement which is set to expire following the 2011 season. This time the issue at hand relates to the distribution of loans to Dominican prospects and the legality/implications that comes with it.

Under current MLBPA rules an agent may lend money to a current client as long as he reports the transaction to the MLBPA and expects the money to be paid back in the future.

What’s not permitted per MLBPA rules is an agent “loaning” money to a player to entice him to switch representation or retain him when their client threatens to switch agency.

Scott Boras made a series of loans to client Edward Salcedo from 2007-2009 that amounted to a total of $70,000. The loans were said to help pay for basic current living expenses to an obvious family in need. These loans were “expected” to be paid back at a later date when Salcedo would sign a professional contract.

Following these loans a series of questions began to arise on the actual age of Edward Salcedo. As a result, teams deterred from making him a contract offer. Salcedo then switched representation to another agency which landed him a contract with the Atlanta Braves.

Salcedo and his family began receiving phone calls from Boras representatives seeking for repayment of their previous loan. In fear that they would want the money directly up front in one lump sum Salcedo switched back to Boras.

Ultimately, the MLB players association sent a letter to the Commissioner’s office saying that Boras did not violate its regulations.

“If the union feels that Boras giving money to young Dominican prospects does not violate its rules, then they should take a look at their own rules,” said one high-ranking baseball official.

There is no governing body overseeing agency relationships with unsigned players in the Dominican Republic. As long as they are 16 yrs of age they are eligible to sign a professional contract.

Sandy Alderson was originally put in charge of cleaning up the mess in the Dominican Republic and restoring some sort of rules and regulations. This off-season Sandy was hired as the New York Mets General Manager and the mess continues.



-CBF