Will Jed Hoyer Sign One of the Boras Four?

And if he does, what happens to the rest of the market?

Scott BorasPhoto byCreative Commons: MissChatter on Flickr

Jed Hoyer was taking a lot of heat early in this offseason for not making any moves. That criticism has slowed a bit after the Cubs have shored up their bullpen and added free agent starter Shota Imanaga and first baseman Michael Busch, but Cubs fans are still waiting for Jed to pull the trigger on a big free agent signing.

Once upon a time Scott Boras had four big clients

There was center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger, third baseman Matt Chapman and two left-handed starting pitchers, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Snell. Any of them could help the Cubs.

Cody Bellinger could help the Cubs immediately, either at first base or center field. The Cubs have Michael Busch at first and Pete Crow-Armstrong as their potential center fielder of the future. Both seem to be part of the Cubs future, but Bellinger could provide insurance at both positions. In addition, if both Busch and Crow-Armstrong pan out, Bellinger can also fill in at DH and the corner outfield positions. Regardless, Bellinger could be helpful.

Matt Chapman could be a huge help at third base, which is a position of major need for the Cubs. Plus, unless Chris Morel pans out at the position, which seems unlikely, last year’s first round draft choice, Matt Shaw could be the next contestant for the position. That could happen as early next summer, but Chapman would be the safer option.

Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell have the potential to help a team’s starting rotation for years. They could also help the Cubs.

Here’s the offer:

Since all four would help the Cubs and the Cubs are unlikely to sign more than one of The Boras Four, Jed makes the Cubs best offer to each of The Four. Sort of like making a plea deal to multiple defendants. If the Cubs make a big signing and are done, the market for the remaining three becomes even more depressed.

And here’s the bonus:

If the Cubs get one of The Boras Four, say Chapman, who would probably take a shorter deal, the Cubs may be able to sign a second member of The Boras Four.

Jed Hoyer is actually using the Cubs farm system as leverage in free agency.

Did Scott Boras overplay his hand this year?

Boras is generally considered the best agent in sports. But the idea of one agent controlling a huge amount of the top free agents in the market can make for some interesting scenarios. We may see some of them play out soon.