Baseball

• Mind the gap [David Ortiz expects arbitration hearing, not settlement, with Red Sox].
• Baseball agency and marketing agency join forces [Legacy Sport Group and The Agency Sports Management Merge to Form The Legacy Agency].
• Still a possibility that Arn Tellem leaves the agent biz [Sorting through potential Dodgers bidders].
• Boras wins with his patient approach [Tigers offer 'lifeboat' to Prince Fielder].

Sports Law

• “The agent epidemic isn’t abating and no university with premier players is immune” [Refereeing sports agents].

Sports Business

• Let’s see if some of our content gets rolled into the USA TODAY network [USA TODAY Sports Media Group Acquires Big Lead Sports Digital Property and Fantasy Sports Ventures].
• Read of the week regarding IMG Worldwide and Teddy Forstmann [Machiavelli and Mogul].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (1/27/2012) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Seth Meyers is hosting the 19th annual ESPYS on July 13, 2011.  This will be Meyers’ second year in a row hosting the awards show.  Yesterday, I was given the amazing opportunity to interview Meyers as he prepares for the show.  This correspondence is being provided by me (with, ahem, some help from Darren Heitner), exclusively to you, Sports Agent Blog readers.  Here is a bit of a synopsis of what was asked along with Meyers’ answers.

Q:        Who is the funniest celebrity that you’ve worked with?

A:        “Peyton Manning… he is one of the funnier guys I’ve ever met… that being said, Charles Barkley might be more fun to talk to… He is absolutely more outrageous.”

• Meyers continued to state that the reason that Barkley is so outrageous is because he has been so outlandish and crazy in the past that no one is surprised by anything he does anymore, so he can say whatever he wants (and does).

Q:        Will your SNL friends be working with you for round two (of hosting)?

A:        “Absolutely, [I’m] so blessed to work with so many talented people, and we’re good at pulling things together in a week.”

Q:        Do you enjoy working with the athletes?

A:        “The good thing about athletes is that they’re very competitive, so they always want to make people laugh.”

Q:        As a Red Sox fan, are you able to be impartial in the baseball categories?

A:        “I’m fairly impartial now since they’ve won a World Series…”

• Meyers continued on to say that prior to winning a World Series, he was “completely partial to the Red Sox.”  Breaking that “curse” seemed to loosen up fans around the world.

Q:        How are you preparing for the awards show?

A:        “Currently we’re shooting a few short films… But, [if] any athletes want to have a sex scandal in the next few [days], that’d be great.”

Q:        Are you going to be teasing anyone new this year?

A:        “The good news about something like the ESPYS is that you have the entire year to find someone worthy of a joke or two… with that [being] said… LeBron and Tiger aren’t completely out of the news.”

Q:        What’s your opinion on the world hating LeBron James?

A:        “All Americans would like to work where they want and work with the people that they want.  Unfortunately, with [the] few missteps that he made… it made a few people upset.”

• A few may be the understatement of the year… but what do I know… I’m a Lakers fan.

Q:        What’s off limits in the sports world?

A:        “I don’t think anything is off limits.  The trick with us this year is [that] with so many labor strikes, [being able to find] the humor in it… For most people, the lockout [means to them that] their favorite sport isn’t going to happen, they’re not in tune with the intricacy of the labor disputes.”

Q:        Where do you draw the line?

A:        “[You] try not to make a joke that’s so unfair that if you saw the person [on the street] you’d walk to other way… at the heart of them, they’re fun and not mean-spirited.”

Q:        How do you judge mean spirited vs. something that’s not?

A:        “[We have six writers] if one comedy writer thinks it’s mean spirited, it’s probably mean spirited.  [Usually you know by the fact that] when you say to them, in the back of your mind, you’re like ‘That’s probably over the line.’… and to be honest, as a comedy writer, you aim for the line, and you’re going to go over, and later on, you have say with hindsight, ‘[I shouldn’t] have said that.’”

Q:        What is the most nerve-wrecking part of hosting a live show?

A:        “Most of my experience is in live [television].  The weird thing about the ESPYS is that there is no dress rehearsal, so a lot of times you’re telling the jokes for the first time.  So when you tell them and no one laughs, you see the bewilderment of the audience [as to] how you ever thought that was funny.”

Q:        In regards to hosting the Correspondence Dinner versus the ESPYS, who is the harder crowd to deal with, politicians or athletes?

A:        “Politicians are harder as the comedy audience, as they take themselves very seriously.  Athletes take themselves seriously on the field, but off of the field, my experience with them, is that they’re a fun-loving bunch…”

Q:        Who are your sports heroes?

A:        “Mike Greenwall”

• Former left fielder who played his entire MLB career with the Boston Red Sox

A:        “Roger Clemens.  [I] lost track of him once he left the Red Sox, but I’m hoping he’s doing well.”

• Strange wording from Meyers as Clemens’ perjury trial in on deck… so to say

Q:        What was your favorite person sports memory playing in high school?

A:        “If you asked anyone I went to West High School with they probably wouldn’t remember either… I didn’t’ have many great sports moments… I ran track, and… there was at least one time when I finished [a race].”

Q:        What sets the ESPYS apart from other awards shows?

A:        “It’s different than any other awards shows, because in order to be nominated, you have to already have won what you wanted.”

Q:        If you were to be nominated for an ESPY, what would you get?

A:        “Probably baseball, or any other sport where contact is minimized… something where no one can hit you.”

Q:        How are you going to top last year’s show?

A:        “I hate to say this… but… Performing Enhancing Drugs.  That’s my move.”

• Meyers continued on to comment that, “Six days before the ESPYS, a lot can happen, I beg any athletes that [thinking about having] a scandal, to make it happen.”

Q:        Have you lost sight of a career as a pro-athlete?

A:        “I was hoping that hosting the ESPYS would get me into becoming an athlete. … [I would] love to be a baseball player for the Boston Red Sox.  That’d be a dream come true, and not a dream [that] I see unreasonable.”

Q:        Award two of your co-hosts ESPYS.  Who are they and what would they be?

A:        “Jon Hamm – ‘Handsomist Outfielder’”

• Don Draper did actually play baseball (and football, and was a swimmer) at the private John Burroughs School in Laude, Missouri.

A:        “Justin Timberlate – He would be ‘Most Versatile’”

Q:        What was that moment in sports that solidified you as a sports fan?

A:        “1986 World Series solidified my loyalty to sports forever.  Often our passion in defeat solidifies our [dedication to] sports forever.”

• The 1986 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox.  The error by Bill Buckner in Game 6, which allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game, is often cited in the legend of the “Curse of the Bambino.”  Mets beat the Red Sox, four games to three.

Q:        Any athlete you would have liked to play against?

A:        “I wish I hit against Chris Carpenter, because then I would be a much younger man.”

• Meyers is 37… Carpenter is 36.

The ESPYS airs live on Wednesday, July 13 at 9pm EST on ESPN.  Make sure to tune in as it is always a hilarious, great, talent-filled show.  Furthermore, fans can still VOTE for their favorite athletes up to July 12.

Interview With Seth Meyers, Host Of The 2011 ESPYs from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

What: 15th Annual Fordham Sports Law Symposium

When: April 1, 2011 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Where: Fordham Law School’s McNally Amphitheatre (map)

Agenda

8:30am–9:15am: Registration

9:15am-9:30am: Opening Remarks

9:30am-11:10am: Damaging Impact: The long term health effects of concussions and where future liability might lie.

• Kevin Boothe, Offensive Lineman, New York Giants
• Dr. Micky Collins, Ph. D, Assistant Director, UMPC Sports Medicine Concussion Program
• Marc Edelman, Assistant Professor, Barry University’s Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law
• Chris Nowinski, Co-founder and President, Sports Legacy Institute; Author, Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis
• Cy Smith, Partner, Zuckerman Spaeder LLP

11:10am-11:20am: Break

11:20am-1:00pm: Agents, Amateurism and Accountability: Legal and ethical questions arising from the relationships between lawyer/agents and the amateur athletes seeking their representation

• Jean Afterman,Vice President, Assistant General Manager, New York Yankees
• Jared Fox, NFL Agent, SportStars, Inc.
• Richard Karcher, Professor of Law and Director, Center for Law and Sports, Florida Coastal School of Law
• Josh Luchs, Former NFL Agent
• Fernando Tamayo, Associate, Coffey Burlington; Former International Scouting Coordinator, Boston Red Sox

1:00pm-2:00pm: Lunch

2:05pm-2:55pm: Keynote Speaker - Howie Roseman, General Manager, Philadelphia Eagles

2:55pm-3:00pm: Break

3:00pm-4:40pm: Collective Bargaining Agreements in Sports: Impending negotiations, potential lockouts, and the main sources of conflict between owners and unions

• Gregg Clifton, Partner, Jackson Lewis LLP
• Anthony Dreyer, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
• David Feher, Partner, Dewey & LeBoeuf
• Jeffrey Mishkin, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
• Michael Weiner, Executive Director, Major League Baseball Players Association

4:40pm-5:00pm: Closing Remarks

Cost: Free. Lunch available for $10. 6 Non-transitional, Professional Practice NYS CLE Credits available for $85 ($50 for Fordham Law alumni and public interest attorneys). Register here.

15th Annual Fordham Sports Law Symposium from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Football

• 6% of players suffered at least 1 concussion in 2010 [NFLPA Injury Report Finds Increases During 2010 Season].
• All about Steinberg Party XXV [Steinberg still host with most].
• A lot of praise for Bob LaMonte [Vikings coach Leslie Frazier, agent Bob LaMonte make a good team].
• The perfect majority owner of a future LA franchise? [The grooming of Casey Wasserman]

Baseball

• Nello Gamberdino’s representation of Canseco is no joke [Why One Baseball Agent Is Taking A Chance On 46-Year-Old Client Jose Canseco].
• Boras throws out the acquisition cost argument [Scott Boras Explains Jayson Werth's 7-Year/$126 Million Dollar Deal With The Washington Nationals].

Sports Law

• Fill out your own and get it framed [2011-12 National Letter of Intent].

Action Sports

• This article makes it seem like there is no lack of  endorsement opportunities involving mainstream brands for those at the top [At X Games, Battle for Sponsors Is Also Fierce].

Shabbat Shalom: Friday Wrap-Up (2/4/2011) from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, English Premier League team Liverpool Football Club, aka, “The Reds,” were sold to New England Sports Ventures under the ownership of Americans John W. Henry and Tom Werner on 15 October 2010 for £300m.

I know this is tough for all you Liverpool fans to see another foreign owner take charge of your beloved club.  And I’m sure it is more frustrating to see Americans running the show, especially with the different level of play between the two countries.  You’re probably asking yourselves what true experience they have for this beautiful game of soccer and if they know the proper way to create a winning squad.

However fans, I have some news for you.

What do English Premier League Football teams Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Fulham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and now Liverpool, all have in common?

Super wealthy foreign investors own them all!

Let’s review: Malcolm Glazer owns Manchester United, Randy Lerner owns Aston Villa, Stan Kroenke is a significant shareholder with Arsenal, and all are from The  USA.   Roman Abramovich from Russia owns Chelsea and Alisher Usmanov, another significant shareholder with Arsenal, is from Uzbekistan.  Carson Yeung, a Hong Kong businessman owns Birmingham City and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, from the United Arab Emirates, owns Manchester City.  These are just a few.

Now, add two very successful Americans, John W. Henry and Thomas C. Werner to this list. They are the current owners of the Boston Red Sox (and newly acquired Liverpool F.C.), an American Major League Baseball franchise, who transformed this once mediocre team, to being crowned World Champions in 2004 and 2007.

As an American, and someone who works in the soccer industry, I feel it is great to see foreign owners getting involved in the game. Whether it’s for the glory on the field, or for financial gain only, it brings a greater awareness to the game in general. After all, fans only want to see one thing and one thing only on the result sheet every week.  Win.

Here in the USA, we too are being infused with players and coaches with Premiership and International experience. It all lends itself ultimately to a better soccer experience for the fan, a greater level of competitiveness and, a better product.

Back to Liverpool and those fiercely loyal English fans. Let’s not forget they were once the dominant team in England. They won league titles virtually every year between 1973 and 1984 along with three European Cups, three FA Cups and four League Cups.  Since then, success at this level has been hard to come by, and the team has disappointed fans looking to repeat those golden years.  Henry and Werner offer the monetary infusion and management skills necessary to reinvigorate this once dominant team. And that is my very point. Do the loyal fans of these English clubs really care about who owns and manages their beloved team? Is it really about winning and restoring the lost pride and quality of player that it takes to compete for the very top honor at this level?

Just look at what some players are earning these days.  Recently Manchester United secured a 5-year contract with striker Wayne Rooney that will give him roughly £200,000 per week! Look what it takes to put together a top-level competitive team. The game has changed and continues to become even more expensive. Someone must ultimately pay bigger player compensation packages.

Luckily, Henry and Werner bring a new sense of excitement to this aspect of the game.  With their understanding that Liverpool is in need of significant change, this could potentially be the beginning of signing more high-end players.  For them to compete with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal, Liverpool needs the funds to do so.  This is where Henry and Werner can be of substantial assistance.

If a fan can watch his team earn 3 points every match and be in the top end of the table why would he care about who owns the club?  As long as his club is producing positive results, the ownership will not be criticized.

So it comes down to who can afford to run and manage these clubs.  The combination of superb management skills and massive amounts of wealth is the key to a dominating club.  The old days of owners seeking pride of ownership alone, is grimly faced with the stark realization of being able to support these teams, all chasing for the top spot.  Let’s face it, success brings glory and financial return.  Every year starts the same way.   Each team begins with zero wins and zero losses but the dream to win it all.

It’s Good For The Game! from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

A lot of money was spent in Washington on Sunday, just not in the typical way. Admittedly, I haven’t done a great job on posting here in recent months. But sometimes a story will come along that screams out to me, and I feel obligated to write about it. The signing of Jayson Werth to a 7 year, $126 million contract by the Washington Nationals is one such story.

When I read about it on Twitter yesterday (follow me at @detroitdan1982), I almost fell off my chair. I don’t really hide the fact that I am a die hard Detroit Tigers fan, and I was hopeful that the club’s general manager, Dave Dombrowski, might make a play for Werth to solidify the middle of the lineup with Miguel Cabrera and the recently signed Victor Martinez. He would have also ben a defensive improvement in right field. But there was no way on God’s green earth that I thought the Tigers should pay $126 million for him. This looks like it could be the newest candidate for worst free agent contract in Major League Baseball history.

It seemed all along that the Boston Red Sox were the front runners for Werth. They reportedly had meetings with him, and all indications were that Werth would soon join the BoSox (who made their own splash on Sunday by trading for Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres). But seemingly out of nowhere, the Nats stepped forward and made the biggest free agent signing in franchise history.

Score another one for Scott Boras, though. He consistently squeezes the most out of teams for his clients. While I’m no expert, I guessed that when free agency began, Werth might be in line for a contract somewhere in the range of $70-$90 million for 6 or 7 years. I also thought the biggest fish on the market, Carl Crawford, would probably get upwards of $100 million for 6 or 7 years, but not significantly more than that. But now that Werth is getting $126 million, it seems as though Crawford is set to receive at least that much, and maybe as much as $180 million according to some sources. I really don’t think either of those guys are on par with Joe Mauer or Mark Teixeira, who have signed $180 million contracts in recent years.

As the title of the article suggests, I think this might be just a bit too much money for Werth. He turns 32 in May, and while he may improve, and it’s possible that he has a few good years ahead of him, he’s never finished a season with a batting average over .300 and he’s never had 100 RBIs. I know those aren’t the only stats that matter, but if I’m paying a guy over $100 million, I think I might want him to be able to do those things.

The contract is the same in years and dollars as the one that Vernon Wells signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in late 2006. While that one hasn’t quite worked out the way the Jays had hoped, Wells had just turned 28 at the time and seemed to have more upside at that point than Werth has now. Only time will tell, but I have a feeling that two or three years from now (or maybe even sooner), the Nationals will regret committing so much money to a player who seems unproven, at least in my eyes.

What do you think? Am I the only one who thinks that the Nationals will eventually end up regretting this deal? I’d love to know what you think!

Insanity in the Nation’s Capital: Is Jayson “Werth” $126 Million? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

But what happens when the lower payroll teams start beating out the big spenders?  Will the big spenders stop throwing their money at the players who have their hands out constantly asking for more?  And will the non-spenders continue to balk at the idea of spending, since they have enjoyed success without dishing out close to the amount of money that the “big market” teams have spent?

Only 3 (Giants, Phillies, and Yankees) of the top 10 teams when it comes to payroll have made this year’s playoffs.  4 teams from the bottom half of payrolls made the playoffs (Rangers, Rays, Reds, and Braves).  Does this mean that parity is possible in a league that is not bound by any type of salary cap?  Darren Rovell says it is not only possible, but that the MLB has the most parity of any sport, with 19 different World Series champions in the past 30 years.

Does Payroll Of Playoff Contender Affect Future Contract Negotiations? from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Nava, whose contract was purchased by the Boston Red Sox from Chico, a Golden Baseball League team, back in January 2008, has had success since becoming a part of the Red Sox organization.  In fact, he slapped a Grand Slam in his 1st professional MLB at-bat.

Just as Nava did not have an agent when his contract was purchased by the Red Sox, Dynasty client, Pete Parise, was agent-less when his contract was purchased by the St. Louis Cardinals.  Parise graduated the University of Pittsburgh as the school’s all-time leader in hits.  The Slippery Rock Sliders of the Independent Frontier League did not care, and converted Parise into a pitcher.  Roughly two weeks later, in June 2007, Parise became a part of the Cardinals organization.  Parise had a strong chance at being promoted to the Major League team this season, but an injury to his shoulder set him back and eventually sat him down for the remainder of the season.

The path from Indy Ball to the Majors is not an easy road, but it has been traveled, and it will be traveled many more times in the future.  One player to keep an eye out for is another client of Dynasty, Ryan Platt.  Platt actually began his career in MLB affiliated baseball last year, as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization.  After being cut in the offseason, we found him a home with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the aforementioned Frontier League.  He’s only leading the league in wins (seven) and strikeouts (82) and is second in ERA (2.20).  Perhaps, in three years, MLBTradeRumors.com will be writing a story about Platt’s perseverance on his way to the Majors.

If you want information about Dynasty’s Professional Baseball Placement Service, please click here to email us.

Parise And Platt Hope To Follow The Indy To Majors Path from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

1. Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) – Boras Corp. – Interesting to note that Bud Selig referred to Harper as an outfielder even though he has played mostly catcher his entire life.  Get this kid on the fast track through the Minors.
2. Jameson Tallion (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Hendricks Sports Management – Big high school arm clocked as high as 99 mph.
3. Manny Machado (Baltimore Orioles) – Boras Corp. - Hard to see Machado passing up signing to go play at Florida International University.  Interesting that FIU is his college commitment.
4. Christian Colon (Kansas City Royals) – Boras Corp. – Yesterday, I had reported that the Royals wanted to sign Yasmani Grandal.  Perhaps his price tag was too high.
5. Drew Pomeranz (Cleveland Indians) - Beverly Hills Sports Council – He was drafted in the 12th round out of high school.
6. Barret Loux (Arizona Diamondbacks) – SFX – Jumped up boards a lot recently.
7. Matt Harvey (New York Mets) – Boras Corp. – 4th Boras client selected in the top 7 picks.
8. Delino Deshields Jr. (Houston Astros) – Wasserman Media Group
9. Karsten Whitson (San Diego Padres) - SFX – Committed to my alma mater, the University of Florida.
10. Michael Choice (Oakland Athletics) – Franklin-Frye Sports – Went undrafted out of high school.
11. Deck McGuire (Toronto Blue Jays) – SFX – Also undrafted out of high school.
12. Yasmani Grandal (Cincinnati Reds) – Legacy Sports Group – Slipped because of signability issues.
13. Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox) – Jet Sports Management – Didn’t play at a major school (Florida Gulf Coast University), but put up great numbers there and played very well in Cape Cod last summer.
14. Dylan Covey (Milwaukee Brewers) – Wasserman Media Group
15. Jake Skole (Texas Rangers) – Unknown – Won’t be compensated if they don’t sign this pick (most likely why Skole was taken here).
16. Hayden Simpson (Chicago Cubs) - Hendricks Sports Management – Great numbers this past year in Division II baseball.
17. Josh Sale (Tampa Bay Rays) – Creative Artists Agency – Don’t worry, different advisors than the people at CAA who have to worry about where LeBron will play.
18. Kaleb Cowart (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) – SFX – Boras Corp. has higher drafted clients, but at this point of the draft, SFX and Boras tied in number of players picked.
19. Michael Foltynewicz (Houston Astros) – Octagon
20. Kolbrin Vitek (Boston Red Sox) – Pro Star Management - Joe Bick also represents Kevin Youkilis, one of my favorite players.
21. Alex Wimmers (Minnesota Twins) – ACES – Undrafted out of high school.
22. Kellin Deglan (Texas Rangers) – Double Diamond Sports Management – Canadian catcher committed to Florida International University with Manny Machado.
23. Christian Yelich (Florida Marlins) – Creative Artists Agency – Committed to the University of Miami, so he will be in the state of Florida no matter what.
24. Gary Brown (San Francisco Giants) – Boras Corp. – And Boras re-gains the lead in clients selected with a total of 5 at this point.
25. Zack Cox (St. Louis Cardinals) – SFX – A draft-eligible sophomore.
26. Kyle Parker (Colorado Rockies) – Career Sports Entertainment – Also the quarterback for Clemson.  Will be a tough sign.
27. Jesse Biddle (Philadelphia Phillies) – Sosnick & Cobbe – Matt Sosnick represents some big time pitchers; add this stud to the list.
28. Zach Lee (Los Angeles Dodgers) – Unknown – Committed to play football at LSU. Queue the signability discussion.
29. Cam Bedrosian (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) – ACES
30. Chevez Clarke (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) – ACES – 2 ACES clients drafted in a row, and a total of 3 ACES clients taken in the first round.
31. Justin O’Connor (Tampa Bay Rays) – SFX – Committed to Arkansas.
32. Cito Culver (New York Yankees) – SFX

Comp Round A

1. Mike Kvasnicka (Houston Astros) – Sterling Sports Management
2. Aaron Sanchez (Toronto Blue Jays) – West Coast Sports
3. Matthew Lipka (Atlanta Braves) – Franklin-Frye Sports
4. Bryce Brentz (Boston Red Sox) – Jet Sports Management
5. Taylor Lindsey (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) – Unknown
6. Noah Syndergaard (Toronto Blue Jays) – Xclusive Sports Management
7. Anthony Ranaudo (Boston Red Sox) – Boras Corp.
8. Ryan Bolden (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) – ACES
9. Asher Wojciechowski (Toronto Blue Jays) - SFX
10. Drew Vettleson (Tampa Bay Rays) – Creative Artists Agency
11. Taijuan Walker (Seattle Mariners) – Reynolds Sports Management
12. Nick Castellanos (Detroit Tigers) – SportsMeter
13. Luke Jackson (Texas Rangers) – Unknown
14. Seth Blair (St. Louis Cardinals) – Boras Corp.
15. Peter Tago (Colorado Rockies) – Wasserman Media Group
16. Chance Ruffin (Detroit Tigers) – Unknown
17. Mike Olt (Texas Rangers) – Wasserman Media Group
18. Tyrell Jenkins (St. Louis Cardinals) – Select Sports Group

The MLB Draft Day 1 Broken Down from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Hideki Okajima has been a very solid reliever for the Boston Red Sox, not just this past season but also in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, Okajima had a 6-0 record with a 3.39 ERA in 61 innings pitched.

Okajima was scheduled to go to arbitration after the 2009 season. However, he and the Red Sox struck a 1-year deal worth $2.75 million. There are some other bonuses stitched into the contract:

50 appearances – $50,000

55 appearances – $50,000

60 appearances – $50,000

65 appearances – $50,000

70 appearances – $50,000

If Okajima can step up to pitch at least 70 times this season, he will bring home $3 million.

Relief pitcher George Sherrill agreed to a 1-year, $2.75 million contract with the Orioles in 2009. Sherrill was scheduled for arbitration that year. In the season prior to his arbitration hearing, Sherrill had a 3-5 record with a 4.72 ERA in 53 innings pitched.

Okajima had better numbers than Sherrill which could have meant that an arbitration victory by Okajima this year would have been more expensive for the Red Sox.

Okajima, Red Sox Work Out a Deal from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules