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Boras Calls Out The Tigers For Being Narrow-Minded

Magglio Ordonez

Myopic – [mahy-op-ik, –oh-pik] –adjective

  1. Ophthalmology. pertaining to or having myopia; nearsighted.
  2. unable or unwilling to act prudently; shortsighted.
  3. lacking tolerance or understanding; narrow-minded.

Scott Boras recently called out the Detroit Tigers organization for being myopic in the organization’s decision to bench Magglio Ordonez.  By all accounts, Ordonez is having a mediocre season.  His graphs show that he is average in most batting catergories, but listed as “poor” in slugging.

ordonez slugging

The problem is that Magglio is not being paid average salary, nor is he expected to be an average player on a Detroit Tigers team that counts on him for power production.  Additionally, looking at Magglio’s season stats to date, he is down in every category compared to last year (except for stolen bases – he has 2 this year, last year he had 1 for the whole season).  He actually also has a better walk/strikeout ratio so far this year.  We have not even reached the All-Star Break…perhaps Mr. Boas is right…are the Tigers being myopic?

Then again, check out this Value chart.  It is hard to believe that based on the numbers Maggs is putting up thus far in 2009, he would only be worth $600,000 on the free-agent market.  I am sure some team would give him a chance.  But Boras does not want to even think about that yet.  Arbitration is on his mind.

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By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

One reply on “Boras Calls Out The Tigers For Being Narrow-Minded”

I read an article about Boras yesterday and I think he's absolutely over the line here (to be fair, I don't much care for Boras anyway). I know that his job is to advocate for his clients and I appreciate his zealous efforts on their behalf, but he has no standing to criticize the way a team is run.

It's not like they're shelving Magglio for the season, they're just sitting him for a while. This has been the practice in baseball for many, many years and incentive-based contract or not, Magglio is being outperformed by several different players who aren't getting nearly as much playing time as he has been.

I'm a Magglio fan, but right now they have a few guys who can help them win more than Magglio is doing, so I want to see them on the field. I hope Magglio hits all of his numbers, gets the monster contract and so forth, but being a longtime-but-way-underperforming star doesn't earn anybody at-bats—performance earn at-bats and right now Mags isn't producing.

I'm curious to know, as an agent, what is your take on Boras' statements?

I see a valid argument made by both sides, and as an outsider, I am undecided. Magglio has been a staple of the organization for some time now. Is it right that he gets benched from a small sample size? Especially if it is being done to not have to pay out some big incentives? Then again, a short rest may give Maggs some time to think about changes in technique that will bring his old self back to life.
As far as Boras is concerned, he is being an advocate for his client. I have no problem with it.

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