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World Baseball Classic Semifinals: Mexico v Japan\nEven if the Red Sox\u2019s pursuit of Okamoto was genuine, it was always a pipe dream. And the culprit? None other than super-agent Scott Boras.<\/p>\n
But let\u2019s be real\u2014this hurts in two ways. Toronto, already stacking their roster, just got stronger as a direct rival. On the flip side, it probably knocks the Jays out of the Bregman sweepstakes, leaving one fewer team for Boston to battle.<\/p>\n
World Baseball Classic Semifinals: Mexico v Japan
\nEven if the Red Sox\u2019s pursuit of Okamoto was genuine, it was always a pipe dream. And the culprit? None other than super-agent Scott Boras.<\/p>\n
Scott Boras and Alex Bregman are why Kazuma Okamoto was never truly on the table for the Red Sox<\/p>\n
Bregman remains Boston\u2019s top target this offseason, so any flirtation with Okamoto wasn\u2019t about pressuring him\u2014it was doomed from the start.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the obvious truth: Okamoto and Bregman are both repped by Boras. As talented as the NPB standout is, he\u2019s MLB-untested and wasn\u2019t commanding the massive payday Bregman expects.<\/p>\n
Boras plays the long game, prioritizing a lucrative, multi-year megadeal for Bregman over Okamoto\u2019s modest four-year, $60 million pact with Toronto. He also knows the Red Sox are desperate to bring back their 2025 standout.<\/p>\n
No way Boras lets Boston use Okamoto as bargaining chip against Bregman. Try it, and he\u2019d dangle Bregman straight to the Jays as payback. The Sox might have eyed the six-time NPB All-Star seriously, but he was always Plan B at best.<\/p>\n
Case in point: Right after Okamoto signed, reports surfaced of the Red Sox dropping an aggressive offer on Bregman. That\u2019s no accident. Boston\u2019s been quiet in free agency all winter, but with Boras holding the cards, they finally revved up.<\/p>\n
One bid doesn\u2019t seal the deal\u2014Boras loves drawing these out. But it\u2019s a step forward from the standoff. Okamoto? He just kickstarted the talks. End of story.<\/p>\n
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But let\u2019s be real\u2014this hurts in two ways. Toronto, already stacking their roster, just got stronger as a direct rival. On the flip side, it probably knocks… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n