Andrew Friedman Disagrees With Scott Boras’ Assessment Regarding Dodgers’ Role in Cody Bellinger Injury
The Dodgers and MLB agent Scott Boras go together about as well as Northern and Southern California. The two can co-exist, but they aren’t big fans of each other at times.
Recently, Boras made some out-of-line comments to Bob Nightengale of USA Today regarding the Dodgers and his client, former outfielder Cody Bellinger. Within, Boras made it seem as if he blamed LA for the struggles that Bellinger saw during his last few seasons with the team.
“He has surgery, and the Dodgers asked him to play with a 35% strength deficiency, and then with COVID, he was deprived of the expert medical treatment,” Boras added in the USA Today story. “He didn’t have the shoulder strength. You don’t just go from a .900 OPS to a .500 OPS without understanding the impact of an injury.
Per USA Today
It was the kind of comments that typically aren’t aired out in the open, even if the agent or player feels it’s true. It’s just bad business, but Boras executed it to a tee.
Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman certainly caught wind of the comments and had his own response to the claims made by Boras. He spoke to Jack Harris of the LA Times, who asked Friedman about the comments.
“I don’t want to stoop down to that level,” Friedman told The Times. “But I find it to be a very convenient narrative. We weren’t surprised by it at all.”
Per The LA Times
Bellinger was on track to being one of the best players in baseball. He won the 2019 National League MVP but injuries over the last couple of seasons halted his progression. It made him dispensable this past offseason when the Dodgers decided it was time to move on.
These things happen between players and organizations all the time. It’s a business after all, and Bellinger wasn’t producing at a level that the team needed. Friedman added to his comments about the situation to Harris.
“What I found really interesting was that there was no mention of the Boras Institute and its role in any of this,” Friedman said. “But I’ll just leave it at that.”
Per The LA Times
Now with a healthy season under his belt, Bellinger looks back to form with the Chicago Cubs. Both he and the Dodgers have moved on from each other, so these comments were a bit surprising, to say the least. Boras quickly retracted and clarified his comments after hearing Friedman’s response while speaking to Harris.
“The Dodgers were not forcing Cody to play,” Boras said.
Per The LA Times
This situation just keeps getting stranger as time goes on. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out and if it has any ramifications on potential future negotiations between the two sides.
Free agent-to-be pitcher Julio Urias is represented by Boras, so that will be a situation to monitor.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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I know that Bellinger has been horrible as a hitter for the last few years until this one. I think a team would be nuts to pay him a multiple year guaranteed deal, based on the one good year. I am betting that someone will give him that deal… With the real possibility that Bellinger could regress to the sub 200 hitter he has been.
If the Dodgers were to offer Bellinger a top tier contract and he agreed to it, yeah, count on him regressing again with the Dodgers. Did you remember his facial expressions, the look in his eyes his last two years with the Dodgers? He looked spaced out. Lost. Lost in space!
As for Julio Urias, I wish he would fire Boras if he really wants to stay with the Dodgers!
What’s interesting is that Bellinger stated that he wasn’t in shape and wasn’t taking care of himself.
So he hired a personal chef and trainer. Now he’s hitting well again.