For the Good of the Game

 Scott Boras is crying to high heaven that his client, Cubs’ rookie hitting sensation Kris Bryant, is being jerked around by the Cubs while Theo Epstein says any decision on Bryant’s making the club out of spring training will be based solely on the best interests of all involved.  Meanwhile, Commissioner Rob Manfred says it’s none of Boras’ business what the Cubs decide to do with Bryant.

Business—now, there’s the key.  It’s all about the business, or money, for Boras, Bryant and the Cubs.  At issue is the matter of keeping Bryant under contract.  If he makes the team by Opening Day, the 23-year old third baseman becomes a free agent in six years; if the Cubs send him down and then call him up in late April, they control his rights for an extra year.  Apparently, nobody thought of this scenario when the current players’ agreement was negotiated.

If sportswriters weren’t so lazy, they’d ask each of the parties involved if their stand isn’t influenced by money.  Would the Cubs send Bryant down if it would cost them more?  Would Boras want his client on the roster if that meant less money for either of them?  And when was the last time the commissioner’s office took a stand not based on what was best financially for the owners?

This reminds me of something Clare told her Valpo coach a few weeks ago, about the difference between NCAA Divisions I and III.  In D I, players are motivated because they get a scholarship.  In D III, it’s the game alone that matters.  Of course, nothing so ideal has a place in the business Manfred and Boras are in.