(AP Photo. Scott Boras, seen here daydreaming about rolling naked in piles of Ted Lerner's hard-earned cash.)
"I know he will walk from a very good deal. He's had success in the past with walking away, holding out and getting his guys money a year later. So it wouldn't surprise me if he did it again."
(Unnamed former scouting director, via Jayson Stark/ESPN dot com, 8/13/2009)
Yes, the clock is ticking on Strasburg Negotiations.
As Chico Harlan reminds us this morning in the Washington Post, this thing is going down to the wire:
The Nationals, according to industry observers familiar with Scott Boras negotiations, are stuck in a holding pattern. The countdown clock ticks away, but the real action must wait. Executives who have dealt with Boras in the past say he strategically holds off all serious negotiating until the 11th hour.
Interestingly, Mr. Harlan also mentions that the Nats might have an offer on the table:
Industry observers...have speculated that the Nationals already have made a significant offer, and for now, are leaving it on the table.
In a column this afternoon, ESPN's Jayson Stark speculates on the $50 million questions: how much will it take to get this thing done; and will it get done? So how much would that "significant offer" be? Stark refers to an "alleged" $9.5 million offer that may have irked Boras:
...allegedly, the Nationals haven't budged at all off their initial offer, believed to be somewhere in the neighborhood of the $9.5 million package the Rangers gave to Mark Teixeira eight long years ago.
That's even a far cry from the $15 million Jim Bowden predicted back in June.
But who the hell knows. At this point, worrying about these negotiations is a colossal waste of time for Nationals Fans. And so, a quick public service announcement from your friends at the Nationals Enquirer: it isn't worth your time thinking about Stephen Strasburg and that ticking clock you hear in the distance. Watch a game. Hug your kids. Enjoy a nice dinner with your significant other. Read a book. Just whatever you do, don't think about Stephen Strasburg until Monday night.
But at 11:59 PM, if you still haven't heard anything, you have our permission to begin freaking out.
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