I am a month late on reporting Zach Britton’s switch from Hendricks Sports to Boras Corp. What is most interesting is what the Baltimore Orioles 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year said about his former representation:
“I was with Hendricks Sports and dealt with Matt Laird. He was great but I never really had contact with the Hendricks brothers myself, so I just never felt comfortable going forward with people I hadn’t met. So I had a good opportunity to meet with Scott and came away very impressed.”
That makes me think of Dicky Fox’s line from Jerry Maguire – “The key to this business is personal relationships.” Agents are held to an extremely high standard by their clients. One mishap, and there will be hundreds of agents waiting for an opportunity to pounce on the client and have him make the dreaded switch. Sometimes it has nothing to do with a poorly handed contract negotiation or a lack of marketing deals. It can be as simple as feeling neglected or even just feeling not as important as one of the agent’s other clients.
I make it a point to interact with each one of my clients, even if I am not the “primary agent.” Certainly, not every agency operates the same way, and that seems to be the chief reason why Zach Britton left Hendricks Sports. Do you think rival agents will use Britton’s statement against Hendricks Sports in the future when they are in a recruiting battle against the company? You better believe it.
