Agent/Player Thinking

Please help me out with this one since I'm most perplexed. Scott Boras is asking for a 5 year, $75 million contract for Greg Maddux. However, no team seems to be remotely interested. Why hasn't Boras come down on the asking price? Or why hasn't Maddux told Boras to get back to reality? Reportedly, the Braves are willing to pay Tom Glavine $19 - $20 million for 2 years plus an option for a 3rd year. That's $9.5 - $10.0 million per year. The Phillies have offered Glavine somewhere around $27 million for three years. That's $9.0 million per year. The Mets have reportedly offered Glavine around $31 million for 3 years. That's just over $10 million per year. Then why does Glavine's agent come out with a counter proposal for a 4 year, $45 million deal? While I can see why Glavine would want an extra year tacked onto the deal, why up the asking price? That's like asking the Mets to pay him $14 million for the 4th year or the Phillies $18 million for the 4th year. Or overall, Glavine and his agent are asking for over $11 million per year. Hasn't it been made clear that his market value is $9 - $10 million per year and not $11? Seems to me like Mr. Glavine and his agent "want their cake and to eat it, too". They not only want a longer contract, but more $$ per year as well.

So my question is this: what are these players and their agents thinking? Do they actually believe that someone will give them what they want just because they feel they deserve it even if it's clear that no one else sees it that way?

Just thought of one theory to answer my own question. When I watch TV, I usually tune out the commercials unless it's some funny beer commercial. I do vaguely recall, however, there's some women's hair coloring in which some babe who's in the commercial ends the commercial by saying "Because I'm worth it!" Maybe free agents like Glavine and Maddux and their agents use this hair coloring!

[KCBOOMER]

Agents operate on the theory that you can't get overpaid unless you ask and Scott Boras is the biggest blood sucker of all.

[penguin12]

Just look at how much more money Tom Hicks offered for A-Rod than any other team. Boras is right to ask for more money because there's always an owner that is going to panic and pay it.

[gyb13]

Let's say you are buying a car and have to choose between two dealerships. Dealer A offers to sell it at $15 K. Dealer B offers to sell it at $14.5 K. What do you do?

Do you buy it from dealer B or do you go back to dealer A and say, I have an offer of $14.5 from someone else - if you want me to buy from you, you have to beat his deal.

If dealer A then offers you the car for $14.3, why not go back to dealer B and tell him about the other offer you got?

and so forth down the line until one of two things happen - you reach your personal target price (at which point you'll buy even if a dealer was willing to offer to sell it for less) or one of the dealers folds.

it's a similar logic...

[sweaver]

You won't get it if you don't ask. That's why it's called negotiation. The owners have not always understood that they don't HAVE to pay the asking price. Glavine has the upper hand now, as there are three teams bidding for his services, and they know the first to meet his asking price (not TOO far above their offers) will get him. It's very tempting to those GMs.

[SmedIndy]

Bouton got some great advice from Johnny Sain: "Don't be afraid to climb those golden stairs".

Except now they're palladium...

[BigJon]

Glavine seems pretty honest about the process. He wants a four year deal so that he can reach 300 wins. The extra five million is just in case they are willing to give it to him.

[Max Power]

A bit of a personal note. A couple of days ago, my wife and I were discussing reasons why we would consider relocating - - just BSing - - because we like where we live............and, she threw this one at me:

"What if you were offered a salary of $350,000 a year? Wouldn't that be a reason to move to another state?"

I looked at her and said - - "if someone offered me $350,000 a year, as a salary, today, right now, I would turn it down - - - - because there's something wrong there right off the bat...........there's nothing that I can do right now at this stage in my career and life that's worth $350,000 a year. Anyone who would be willing to pay me that would be a fool - - and, who wants to work for a fool? That's a plot line which is a lock for a bad ending."

Think any players think this way? Nah, probably not.........

[hmrsf]

Go to the car dealer that has the best customer service,

Same holds true for a job and any other life decisions.