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Boras tells clients to reject MLB's proposal: Don't 'bail out' owners

Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The basis of Trevor Bauer's "meddling" accusations against Scott Boras appear to stem from an email the agent sent to his clients about refusing MLB's proposal to cut player salaries during a shortened 2020 campaign.

Boras indicated to players that teams are having financial issues during the coronavirus pandemic because of management debt financing, according to an email obtained by Ronald Blum of The Associated Press, who adds that major leaguers were told to keep the prorated salaries the MLBPA negotiated in late March.

"Remember, games cannot be played without you," Boras wrote. "Players should not agree to further pay cuts to bail out the owners. Let owners take some of their record revenues and profits from the past several years and pay you the prorated salaries you agreed to accept or let them borrow against the asset values they created from the use of those profits players generated."

He added: "Owners are asking for more salary cuts to bail them out of the investment decisions they have made. If this was just about baseball, playing games would give the owners enough money to pay the players their full prorated salaries and run the baseball organization."

The league reportedly wants all players to take tiered pay cuts, with baseball's top earners losing a larger percentage. The players' association is believed to be preparing a rebuttal that includes full prorated salaries, along with a potential 110-game schedule.

Boras also told his clients, a group that includes dozens of high-profile stars, to "share this concept with your teammates and fellow players."

The agent's firm finalized contracts worth north of $1.2 billion during this past offseason alone.

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