ORLANDO, FL — Agent Scott Boras believes that DH Kyle Schwarber’s five-year, $150 million contract will not only accelerate free-agent signings this winter, but will lead to longer-term contracts for sluggers over the age of 30.
Yes, in particular 31-year-old New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, who’s represented by Boras.
Alonso drove from his home in Tampa and met with several teams at the winter meetings in hopes of landing a contract for at least seven years, according to the New York Post.
The Mets have been reluctant to offer more than a three-year deal, but Boras insists that with Schwarber’s deal — paying him $30 million a year through the age of 37 — should prove that teams are open to signing sluggers to long-term deals.
The Phillies were one of four teams willing to give Schwarber at least a four-year deal, according to a person with direct knowledge of his negotiations, with the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds all making offers ranging from $120 million to $150 million.
“The evidence in the market is that these premium talents that have power,’ Boras said, “are in great demand. And the teams are willing to give more length to secure plot power in the marketplace. …
“Schwarber is obviously one of the best power hitters in the game, and all of these guys that are elite, whether they’re 29 or 30, they see a player who’s got five years length at 33, it’s obviously a fair quotient for the players that are younger to demand more years. …
“I think it really shows the demand for power. We just don’t have a lot of it, and it shows the impact that it has.’
And now that Schwarber is locked up, Boras says teams already are reaching out to him about Alonso, outfielder Cody Bellinger and third baseman Alex Bregman.
The Mets say they loved outfielder Brandon Nimmo, too, a crowd favorite, and traded him to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien.
They told everyone they still wanted to re-sign closer Edwin Diaz after signing Devin Williams to a three-year, $51 million contract, but refused to offer more than a three-year, $66 million deal for Diaz. They were outbid by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ three-year, $69 million contract.
“The Dodgers are the Goliath,’ Boras said, “they got something they really, really needed. Right now, in our industry, when a Goliath snaps his fingers, he seems to be getting what he wants.’’
The Mets are a Goliath, too, with the richest owner in baseball in Steve Cohen, but they’re certainly showing that popularity is not the top priority. If they can trade Nimmo and let Diaz walk, they can certainly let Alonso depart.
While the slow free-agent market is just starting to move, with the Toronto Blue Jays having a press conference Tuesday to introduce their new $210 million pitcher in Dylan Cease, Boras says he has not encountered one bit of hesitation from owners to spend because of the potential lockout next December.
“The owners just are not concerned,’ Boras said. “They should be more concerned about the ebbs and flows of talent, because that’s what operates success in this industry. The fact that they don’t have to pay players [during a lockout], it mitigates the primary concern. I don’t know of a collective bargaining agreement where an owner came out and said, ‘“’You know what, things are going to be so much worse that I’m concerned about the longevity of the contract I just agreed to prior to the new CBA.’ The only thing that even major market teams are concerned about are luxury taxes, and how that’s going to evolve.
“So, it’s usually that they believe that the outcome of the CBA is going to be more beneficial to them than the prior one. So that’s why you don’t see clubs hesitate to where they’re going to sacrifice a year or miss out on a talent that won’t be available for five or six years.’’