When Alex Rodriguez inked his record-setting $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers back in 2000, it was the moment. In modern times, you can compare it to Juan Soto’s deal, and how it left jaws dropping to the floor. Funny enough, both these eye-watering contracts have one name in common, and it’s none other than the super agent, Scott Boras. He is the real architect behind A-Rod’s massive contract. However, with time, Boras and A-Rod gradually went their separate ways.
This news shocked everyone then! Because Boras was not just any agent, he was the agent. He had built his empire representing the biggest names in the sport, even Barry Bonds. And now Juan Soto, Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and more top players are connected with him. For years, he had been by A-Rod’s side, from when he was only just a boy. Boras helped A-Rod in every step of his career. So why did it end?
After years, in an interview with Graham Bensinger, Boras peeled back the curtains.
Boras, without saying much, said, “It’s just philosophical. As a player matures, he has the right to listen to who he wants. I didn’t particularly agree with the people Alex was listening to.” Now he didn’t name names, but insiders at the time pointed their fingers at A-Rod’s growing entourage and a shift in his inner circle. Eventually, A-Rod turned to Guy Oseary, aka Madonna’s manager. He was handling Rodriguez baseball affairs, and that move might have signaled a change in direction. One that moved away from Boras’ baseball-first way.
Boras said, “I have a certain element of integrity with how we do things…. And at that point, we both agreed it was best to move on.” Still, Boras is proud of the legacy they built together. The decade-long contract was for sure controversial and unprecedented, but Boras said it went on to become a financial news story. Rather proudly, he said, “A-Rod won his three MVPs, and then he was in the top two or three multiple times. And then when the contract got transferred, assigned to the Yankees, and many other teams were trying to get him, I kept on reaffirming, “See, I had told you that.”
Still, Boras’s voice does reflect a tinge of what could have been. But he said that sometimes, when someone has that kind of greatness, he wants to help them stay on top, but they end up taking a different path. For A-Rod, that path was walking away from the agent who helped him become a generational icon.
Scott Boras gets real about dedicating most of his life to baseball
Scott Boras is one of the most powerful figures in Major League Baseball today. He is the man behind some of the sport’s biggest deals. But behind the man in a sharp suit and a stern face is a different man. In the candid interview, he let on more than how he helped his clients get those deals. He opened up about the price he paid for his relentless pursuit of success.
Boras said, “The game is about who you work for. The privilege of that is, are you doing everything you can do for the people you represent?” And for him, that’s always been his players. So his schedule was nonstop, and his phone was always running. His mind—always on the next deal. But that vision came with trade-offs—something he started to realize later on. After losing his mother, he started to look at the time he never got back. “Balance” is what he said he started to learn. He made sure to fly for his kids’ games, watch them play, and squeeze in dinners when he could.
But regrets? He said he still has them. But the question is, is it worth it? Well, for Boras it is. He said, “You know, as you go on in the years, you realize the blessings of your life. Because you get to do something. Because I hear from so many people who are not doing what they want to do.” But Boras never did anything halfway. He has built a team of 160 people to ensure every part of a player’s career, from his contract to medical care, is handled with care. And maybe this is one of the major reasons his clients don’t want to let go. This time, with several of his free agent clients remaining in the market for long and Boras got plenty of heat. But the clients never let go. People often ask, “Why don’t they part ways?” Maybe this is the reason: personal care.
In the end, he will hope his family understands the choices he has made. And yes, on another note, he has practiced every single step of the father-daughter dance because some moments, he knows you only get just once.
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