Pujols and Holliday

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Scott Boras has tried to goad the Cardinals at times this offseason by linking the outcome of negotiations to the likelihood of Albert Pujols returning. Boras will certainly not appreciate Pujols' agent, Dan Lozano, undercutting this negotiating ploy today. Lozano told Joe Strauss of the P-D that "Albert respects Matt and would love to have him as a teammate and hopes he gets his money, but Matt’s situation must be seen as independent of Albert’s.”

It is not surprising that today Boras also unveiled that Holliday has received offers from "another East Coast team" besides Baltimore, in addition to the Cardinals' standing offer. It seems that Mr. Boras is becoming more desperate by the day and his mystery East Coast team defies logic. The Red Sox signed John Lackey and Mike Cameron in the past week. The Phillies are set in the outfield and just spent on Roy Halladay. The Yankees traded for Curtis Granderson and are about to sign Nick Johnson per Buster Olney. The Mets are the current favorites to land Jason Bay for their open spot in left field.

We are running out of East Coast teams to plausibly bid for Holliday's services, but introducing a "mystery team" is a vintage Boras strategy. Maybe he has really found a big pocket suitor to big against the Cardinals, but my gut tells me this is all smoke and mirrors. Hopefully the whole situation is resolved one way or the other before January; I know what I'd like for Christmas...

-ambill10
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