Boras: We offered multiyear Crede deal, not Sox

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Thursday, March 17, 2011
Posted 5:00 p.m.

By Brett Ballantini
CSNChicago.com

GLENDALE, Ariz.Its not often that an accusation from by a multisport team owner sends Scott Boras into the file cabinet to check his memory, but thats what happened on Thursday morning.

The superagent bristled over White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorfs insinuation that he cost former Chicago third baseman Joe Crede millions by not accepting a team-offered multiyear contract.

On Wednesday, Reinsdorf told White Sox beat reporters in discussing how and when to commit to a young player, Sometimes, the agent makes a mistake. We were ready to commit to Joe Crede, and Scott Boras didnt want to talk about it. Look what thats cost Crede.

READ: Reinsdorf unplugged

Boras unearthed two pieces of correspondence dating to February 2006, one detailing a multiyear deal offered to the White Sox, and a response from the team, rejecting the proposal and indicating that the White Sox would only work year-to-year with Crede. The agent wouldnt disclose the financial terms he outlined in his offer to the White Sox, but indicated it was a three-year proposal covering the 2006-08 seasons.

Boras also objected to the notion that there is a hostile relationship between his Boras Corporation and the White Sox, in spite of, in just one example, the club actively avoiding his clients in each Junes MLB Draft.

Boras pointed out that in 2010 he steered Andruw Jones to the White Sox and for the 2011 season avoided an arbitration hearing between client Tony Pena and the teamgenerally, that he and the White Sox work together all the time.

Jerry has to look at the files, Boras said. I deal in facts. The White Sox didnt want to do a multiyear for Crede.

Generally, the White Sox have gotten a chuckle out of the manufactured controversy, with one team representative suggesting Boras is playing with the calendar and dismissing the notion that the two sides never exchanged multiyear proposals on Crede.

General manager Ken Williams, who suffers foolishness about as easily as he does White Sox losses, was imaginably succinct when asked to comment on Boras accusations: This isnt really relevant to the efforts of the 2011 White Sox.

Brett Ballantini is CSNChicago.com's White Sox Insider. Follow him @CSNChi_Beatnik on Twitter for up-to-the-minute White Sox information.

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