Ben McDonald article

[Invader3K]

MLB Trade Rumors has a pretty good write up regarding former Brewers pitcher Ben McDonald and his agent at the time, Scott Boras:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2009/04/boras-blast-from-the-past-ben-mcdonald.html#comments

 

Key point towards the end: "Brewers GM Sal Bando offered McDonald a big extension in '97 - three years, $18MM plus a $6MM option (according to Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel). Boras turned down the extension, requesting a guaranteed fourth year. The decision turned out to be a blunder, as McDonald never pitched again due to injuries."

[patrickgpe]

wow that would of been a disaster. I know Doug has missed on some long term deals but nothing as bad as that.

[endaround]

I though Bando's extension offer wasn't really much of extension though. Maybe I'm wrong but I thought it really only would have added one year since McDonald was under contract for 1997 and had an option in place for 1998. So really it a slight raise and one additional year. Unless McDonald knew he was going to blow out his arm, trying to get a better deal than that isn't that foolish. Sort of like Sheets turning down arby. If he thought he was that badly injured he wouldn't have turned it down.

[chuckiehacks]

That article shows how far the rookie contracts have come. McDonanld's request for $1.1MM over 3 years was outrageous, now Boras is looking for $50MM for Strasburg.

[joepepsi]

It's too easy to look at Big Ben's career as a failure. Truth is, he had a couple good major league seasons, and that's more than most any of us can say. Count me as one of those who believes his college coach ruined his arm.

[Thurston Fluff]

Unless McDonald knew he was going to blow out his arm, trying to get a better deal than that isn't that foolish.

 

He only became available as a free agent because he had a history of arm problems. Ben had lives on borrowed time throughout his time with the Brewers. I reminded me of Jeff Di' amico in that respect.

[Invader3K]

now Boras is looking for $50MM for Strasburg.

If he actually get anywhere close to that, it will be a really sad and pathetic day for Major League Baseball.

[sheethead]

Seeing how the deadline to sign Strasburg is today, I was thinking how the Nationals actually have leverage over Boras. Unless the Nationals blow it and keep winning games, they will have a lock on the #1 spot again next year. To which they can use as leverage and say, "take it or leave it, but we will be drafting him next year and the offer will go down."

[bball123h]

Seeing how the deadline to sign Strasburg is today, I was thinking how the Nationals actually have leverage over Boras. Unless the Nationals blow it and keep winning games, they will have a lock on the #1 spot again next year. To which they can use as leverage and say, "take it or leave it, but we will be drafting him next year and the offer will go down."

I'm pretty sure you need to get the player's permission to redraft them. So, in theory, if the Nats draft 1-2 next year, Strasburg could only go as high as 3.

[sheethead]

I'm pretty sure you need to get the player's permission to redraft them. So, in theory, if the Nats draft 1-2 next year, Strasburg could only go as high as 3.

A player who is drafted and does not sign with the club that selected him may be drafted again at a future year's draft, so long as the player is eligible for that year's draft. A club may not select a player again in a subsequent year, unless the player has consented to the re-selection.

 

You are correct. No extra leverage as I previously suspected.

[Paulus88]

So if the Nats do indeed draft #1 and #2, what kind of coin will they need to sign both Stasburg and Bryce Harper?

[pitchleague]

not sure to answer that but I would much rather have Harper than Strasburg. He looks like more of a sure thing, to me.

 

Okay, I guess I could answer that after all: ALOT of coin, particulary including a whole lot of zeroes to the left of the decimal point.

[thebruce44]

I think any position player is more of a sure thing than a pitcher due to injury risk.

[DHonks]

Ben was one of the Brewers' best free agent signings in my mind. It's interesting, because it didn't come out until later that the Brewers signed him in part because of limited interest throughout the league because of a partially torn rotator cuff. Eventually it completely went out on him. He had really solid stuff though.

[Pioneers3]

not sure to answer that but I would much rather have Harper than Strasburg. He looks like more of a sure thing, to me.

 

Okay, I guess I could answer that after all: ALOT of coin, particulary including a whole lot of zeroes to the left of the decimal point.

Harper may not even be the first pick next year...Jameson Tallion has a chance to be the first pick next year