The Disappearance of Rickie Weeks

[nikip43]

thats an interesting tidbit about John Stockton and Ray Allen.

 

Ive always loved Stockton...I just appreciate an athlete who would rather play his game than talk about it. Quality man.

[Member]

Ray Allen didn't need an agent because he signed the for the max allowed by the NBA CBA. He didn't need an agent to get any more money, because he couldn't get any more.

 

His use of a lawyer was to ensure there wasn't some wording in the contract that would cost him money.

 

The situation doesn't appear to be as applicable when there isn't a firm maximum like there is in the NBA.

[BrewDude]

Regardless of that, this is how all these ballplayers should do it. No more millions to these nobodies. Just have your lawyer look over the legallity of it, and be done with it. They'll probably only have to give a couple thousand dollars instead. Save money, time, and frustration.

[Member]

Regardless of that, this is how all these ballplayers should do it.

 

And if I were Rickie Weeks, the number two pick in the baseball draft, you can bet my agent would get me everything he could within reason.

 

How many contracts did Brien Taylor sign? Antoine Williamson? Kenny Felder?

 

And extra few hundred thousand dollars might not seem like a lot, but it might come in handy in five years if Weeks is out of baseball.

 

If I was involved in some sort of accident that mean a one hundred thousand dollar plus settlement, I'd have a lawyer there at every turn, because there is no such thing as an injury settlement agent.

 

Now, if its September 1 and he still isn't signed, and they are fighting over 50,000 dollars, then the guy needs to be realistic. Until then, he's not hurting his development or the Brewers.

[SoCalBrewfan]

It's funny how a paltry sum of a few hundred thousand dollars is sneered at by fans who want to get their guy signed. As Chris said, there is a very real chance that this is it for Rickie Weeks...he could blow out his shoulder or knee or whatever two weeks after signing. And the difference between initial negotiating positions is probably more like a million dollars...Weeks is quoting Upton numbers, and the Brewers are quoting the slot number coming from the commish.

 

If we were another team, I'm guessing we could flip Bud the bird and get him signed for Bullington money tomorrow. Guess what?

[xisxisxis]

If we were another team, I'm guessing we could flip Bud the bird and get him signed for Bullington money tomorrow. Guess what?

 

What!

 

 

 

It's funny how a paltry sum of a few hundred thousand dollars is sneered at by fans who want to get their guy signed. As Chris said, there is a very real chance that this is it for Rickie Weeks...

 

I have done the calculations and you can have a comfortable lifestyle if you can get ~$1.3M post tax. Anything more is just tips for the pizza delivery man.

[odawg13]

One thing that has not been touched on in this discussion on why Rickie Weeks has not signed is the increased involvement that the Commissioners Office has over draft picks being signed. This year any contract exceeding the slot money allocated by Major League Baseball has to be approved by the Commissioners Office. So far only one first round draft pick has been allowed to sign for above his slot amount, Michael Aubrey, and that was for 60,000 more. This was the main reason that Adam Lowen signed with the O's, rather than re-enter the draft. He was well aware that MLB was going to be very strict with forcing teams to sign players for their slotted prices. Peter Gammons reported this week that one team came to terms with a player for 100,000 over the slot amount, and had that turned down by the Commissioners Office. Right now, I think that the top picks and Jeff Allison are holding out hoping that MLB caves on this new strategy, but most likely they will have to come around to signing for the slot price.

[BrewDude]

It is about time that this is happening because I am really tired of seeing ballplayers that have never even sniffed the minors to be getting that money. Don't deserve it plain and simple. Go to school! See if we care. There will be someone else there to take their place. That is just the way of life.

[RobertR]

Not having read the relevant portions of the CBA, but isn't this collusion?

 

Now maybe the CBA states that it's o.k. to conspire collectively to hold down the salaries on draftees. But, if it doesn't, I hope Bud has better lawyers than he had last time around.

 

And, regardless, this really puts a damper on thinking that Weeks is going to be signed anytime soon.

 

Robert

[mothershipconnection]

That should be the trend now. Instead of paying out huge commissions to agents, keep that extra money for yourself, or buy your parents something nice, whatever.

But that's pretty hard to do when Scott Boras owns your soul, as is the case with tons of MLB players.

EDIT: oops, added a picture that was way bigger than I thought it'd be.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Not having read the relevant portions of the CBA, but isn't this collusion?

 

The relationship of the draft to the CBA is somewhat shaky because signees are not yet members of the union...perhaps those who sign major league contracts are exceptions. And the players union, which represents major leaguers, seems to think that big bonuses for unproven rookies just takes money out of their members' pockets...so this is not an issue they are willing to fight over. That's how I understand it anyway...

[RobertR]

I'd believe it be the agents bringing it up. Especially since they often represent both players and draftees. Let's face it, it's pretty easy to make the argument that if unproven draftee X gets a big bonus then proven veteran player Y should make at least that much.

 

Then again, it may very well not amount to anything. I would add that it's probably a bad situation for the Brewers to have a pick that high in a year when Bud is creating a confrontation.

 

Robert

[Al the Thinking Man]

It will have to be the agents, as most players, Mark McGwire and Charles Barkley being the loudest, disdain the money unproven kids get.

[brewmann04]

right now it looks like weeks might not play at all in 2003

 

what a shame

[danzig6677]

I heard Gammons talk about this,he pretty much said what someone else here said,the major league players dont care enough that the draftees are getting squeezed.Im sure baseball knows this and thats why its taking the actions its taking.You see it in nearly every pro sport,when their CBA is up the unions seem to have no problem selling out the kids being drafted for obvious reasons.