Earlier this month, Scott Boras negotiated the biggest contract of his life, after the New York Mets landed Juan Soto. The Mets signed the former Yankees man for the largest sports contract, a 15-year $765 million deal. But looking for new homes for Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso hasn’t been easy for the MLB super agent. The Mets have been linked with both players, but there is a clamor for the Cubs or even the Giants to swoop for Alonso while Bregman could fit in well at the Red Sox. But so far there is nothing concrete.

Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso are two of the biggest names in the off-season market right now. But their future remains uncertain even three days after Christmas. The major reason for the holdup is their massive contract demands. The New York Mets were the favorites to re-sign Pete Alonso, but have hit a roadblock.

Jon Heyman from the New York Post reported that there is a sizeable gap in talks between the parties. “The Polar Bear,” who is a Mets fan, is looking for north of $150 million, and he was offered just a surprisingly low $90 million by the Steve Cohen-owned Mets. Closing a gap this big is no issue for the Mets as seen in the case of Soto, but as of yet no deal or offer in that respect appears to be in sight.

As far as Bregman goes, the market is closing in on him too. Since he is a fan favorite in Houston, the expectation was that the Astros would extend his stay in Minute Maid Park, but even that got stalled because Bregman is looking for $200 million and the Astros just can’t give him that right now. If you see, Alonso and Bregman are two very different cases but there is one common link: Scott Boras. Knowing how Boras gets the best deals for his clients, the current situation is quite surprising.

Well, Scott Boras has been under fire not once but plenty of times, whether it’s stretching the negotiations too long or asking for too big of a contract. Or focusing too much on top-tier clients and not being able to do much for the positional players. On one side, he helped Juan Soto to a record deal while Alonso and Bregman are still lagging which many are pointing out.

Bregman was even offered $156 million for five years by the Astros, but he declined, looking for more, and now is lost in the free market. Both might have to take less than anticipated or even worse, because of over-negotiation. And this isn’t new for Boras clients.

It’s déjà vu because last year the exact thing happened. In 2023, Scott Boras had some big clients, and they were called the Boras Five. It was anticipated that together they could take in $800 million. And how did it go? Because in the end, the amount they received was $252 million. And on average, clients received just about 32% of what they had anticipated. Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery, all ended up signing low deals.

Cody Bellinger was bought back by the Cubs on a three-year deal, guaranteeing him $80 million after it was projected that he would land a 6-year, $150 million deal. Blake Snell, rumored to get 7 years and $200 million, ended up signing a two-year, $62 million with the San Francisco Giants.

Top Comment by HDL

Boras should keep plugging for the top dollars. New York is a big market. The teams have the big bucks....more

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Many felt then that Boras simply misread the market. Some even pointed out that front offices have become too savvy to fall for Boras’s phantom offer tactics. Given the way things are progressing now, the question is whether Boras still has that Midas touch left.

Alonso has established himself as one of the best power hitters in the sport since making his MLB debut with the Mets in 2019. He’s exceeded 30 home runs in each of the past four years. But having turned 30 on December 7 and with a declining OPS in three consecutive years, teams might be reluctant to offer him a long-term deal.

The Mets still remain favorites to land Alonso according to Heyman. However, Heyman insists it is not straightforward. “The Mets still make the most sense even though a gap exists now. After a 48-hour frenzy of 1B signings/trades (Paul Goldschmidt, Carlos Santana, Josh Naylor, Nathaniel Lowe), potential options include the Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Angels, and possibly the Cubs or Red Sox if they open up 1B via trade.”

However, the Cubs have Michael Busch at first base having acquired him last offseason from the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 25-year-old has done well with the bat, improved his defensive prowess, and has become an asset at first base. But acquiring Alonso would mean adding a legit 40-home run bat in the middle of the lineup. While this option may be far-fetched, the Giants is another side that could move for Alonso.

New York radio host Jerry Recco has identified the San Franciso Giants as a destination for Alonso. The Giants have already signed shortstop Willy Adames this offseason and adding Alonso would be a big step. Recco said, “The Giants are a team that could swoop in and make a play for him.”  The Giants lost Blake Snell as a free agent this offseason and are without a starting pitcher.

Meanwhile, for Bregman, the Boston Red Sox could be a possible option. The Red Sox need a right-handed slugger and there are few better options than Bregman available. He is a two-time All-Star third baseman and an excellent defender at third base. Notably, he has the highest OPS in Major League Baseball history (1.245) by a visiting player at Fenway (minimum: 90 plate appearances).

There is pressure on Boras to deliver some big deals for Alonso and Bregman, especially after the disappointment of the previous offseason. But has Boras really lost his nous in the market? Well, given the deal he fetched for Corbin Burnes, seems like he isn’t done.

Corbin Burnes signs with the Diamondbacks

Corbin Burnes, one of the most sought-after pitchers on the market, signed a six-year deal for $210 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks. While that amount is not so surprising, the team he chose sure did turn heads. Because Arizona isn’t known to break the bank and sign such high-contract players. In fact, this would be the largest contract in franchise history. Well, Boras does seem to get credit there; he often makes unthinkable deals happen.

Corbin Burnes shone last season with the Baltimore Orioles. He posted a 15-9 record and a 2.92 ERA. He is extremely consistent and racked up at least 28 starts in the past four seasons. His strikeout rate has dipped lightly this season, but his walk rate was the best ever since his Cy Young campaign.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are clearly going for that NL West crown. They want to dethrone the LA Dodgers with their revamped rotation, which now has Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and more. With Scott Boras orchestrating another mega deal, Burnes’s $35 million per year salary ranks among the MLB elite pitchers. Now it remains to see what Scott can do with a miracle even for Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman.

Do you think Scott Boras can get them a lucrative deal? Let us know