For the second time this offseason, it appears as if Scott Boras rejected the best offer he is going to get for one of his clients, and it will likely lead to that client accepting less money at a later date.

This time, we’re talking about none other than Manny Ramirez, who rejected a one-year, $25 million deal to re-sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. This after Boras allowed a two-year, $45 million offer from the Dodgers to expire.

Boras is standing firm that the asking price for Ramirez is a four-year deal, with an option for a fifth, worth about $25 million per season. Unfortunately, Boras doesn’t seem to comprehend the whole concept of a down economy, and will likely hold onto that firm asking price until the only offer remaining is for less than $25 million and one year.

Unless, of course, the Yankees come calling. As we saw with Alex Rodriguez and Mark Tiexiera, Boras over-estimated their free agent values, and without getting bailed out by the Yankees, both of those players would have been considered free agent failures. A-Rod had to cut Boras out of the loop to get his only offer back on the table.

Earlier in this offseason, Jason Varitek, at Boras insistence, turned down the option of arbitration, which would have yielded him a minimum of $10 million for one season. Instead, Boras used his magic notebook to turn that one-year, $10 million contract into a two-year, $8 million contract. Way to hold out for that long-term deal you knew you’d get. But hey, what do you expect when you tell your .220 hitter to turn down $10 million.

Sadly, I don’t think that Manny Ramirez has a clue as to how much his agent is out of touch with reality. If you are a 20-year old first round draft pick, yes, Scott Boras will get you more money than any other agent. He may even do it for you when you’re a free agent six years later. But he will also turn down great contracts and turn negotiations into reasons why the fans in you new city won’t like you.

Manny needs a new agent, but there is a very good chance he never knows it. Hell, he may go unsigned into June and not realize that the season started.

Once again, I say if you are a major league owner, there should be no negotiations with Scott Boras. You make an offer and he either takes it or leaves it. No counteroffers. If Boras is going to play this way, the only way for teams to reclaim power is to make Boras powerless. If he keeps screwing his clients out of the best deals, he’ll have no clients. Once the Yankees learn how to do business in a proper manner, Boras is screwed.

Until then, it’ll just be guys like Manny and Varitek that are screwed.

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