Last offseason, Scott Boras, one of the most powerful agents in baseball, found himself in a bit of a bind. He had big clients like Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, and Blake Snell, but the market had shifted in ways Boras wasn’t quite ready for. After the pandemic, the regional sports networks collapsed, and teams grew cautious about long-term deals for older players.  

Scott Boras was faced with a much colder market than he expected. By the time spring training started, none of his clients had signed. When they finally did, the deals were far from the huge contracts Boras is known for. Bellinger took a three-year, $80 million deal with the Cubs, while Chapman, Snell, and Montgomery signed shorter contracts, hoping to prove themselves and re-enter free agency later. 

Doubts over Pete Alonso’s agent linger after last year’s fails 

Some execs started to question whether Boras had misread the market. According to The Athletic, one exec even said he was “a little out of touch” and wasn’t adjusting his approach to the new reality. With teams still recovering from TV network losses and becoming more afraid of big, long-term contracts, Boras found himself in unfamiliar territory. He shrugged off the criticism, claiming the collapse of the regional sports networks was “last year’s news.” He defended his clients’ deals by pointing to the strong average annual value (AAV) of their contracts and the flexibility they offered. 

Despite the setbacks, Boras is still the top dog. But in the 2024 offseason, he’ll face another challenge. With players like Pete Alonso on the market, Boras will need to prove he can adapt to a changing baseball landscape. The question now is whether he can change his strategies to fit today’s market. A market that’s more cautious about handing out big contracts, especially for aging players. Alonso is approaching thirty and if Boras can’t get him a good deal, we might see another offseason where the big deals just don’t come as easily.  

The Yankees also have a better option  

There’s a compelling case doing rounds. It suggests that while Pete Alonso may be the bigger name, Christian Walker could be the better fit for the Yankees this winter. It’s not that Alonso isn’t a great first baseman, he absolutely is. But Walker’s all-around game might make him the more balanced and valuable addition to New York’s lineup.

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Sure, Alonso routinely hits 40+ home runs, and that power is undeniably appealing. But Walker excels in nearly every other aspect of the game. For one, he strikes out far less than Alonso, making him a more disciplined hitter with a slightly higher batting average. But perhaps the most significant difference between the two is Walker’s defense. While Alonso gets more credit as a defender than some realize, Walker has won three consecutive Gold Gloves at first base.  

So, while Alonso’s power is a huge draw, Walker’s overall game could better complement the Yankees’ needs. Let’s not forget that the Yankees potentially eyeing bigger targets like Juan Soto this offseason. Hence, opting for a player like Walker, who will cost less than Pete Alonso, might be the smart move. If the Yankees are serious about adding Soto, Walker could very well be the perfect fit for first base.