but one has to ask if the A’s are thinking something simular in private. If thats true, then no Giambi for the A’s. They do not represent any current A’s, only Former A/Free Agent Frank Thomas.

Grampa Lew (no, not "ours"), wherever he rests, must be very disappointed by this development.

Lew’s agents were always conniving, cutthroat SOB’s, but they never let themselves become the story, and always kept the bloodshed behind closed doors.

Q — do sports agents not have a trade group with a Code of Conduct? There are certain minimum decencies teams and agents ought to be able to expect from each other. Executive recruiters, for example, have such a thing.

Or is that too Jerry Maguire?

BTW, I don’t feel all that bad for the Braves. They certainly let the A’s carry their water, possibly in cahoots with Kinzer (“mystery team”), until the eleventh-hour-and-thirty-minutes. The real blunder I see was that the Sweet-Furcals didn’t tell Wren they were going to shop his offer back to ElLay. The Braves thought they were the catbirds, and then cried fowl.

Gnats GM Brian “Zito FTW” Sabean remarked that the GM’s are scrutinized to the nth degree for any hint of collusion with FAs. Seems stupid, given that Agents can readily exploit this little mandate during negotiations with no accountability whatosoever. Worst case so far seems to be in Kinzer, who probably hyped up/falsified stories to get his client what he wanted. This is probably one of the reason why GMs are so silent in negotiations unless its a foregone conclusion, but sure can make them look bad or stupid.

I would not be surprised to see Kinzer lose his job at WMG over this. And he should.

While verbal agreements aren’t legally binding, to make one, to tell the team to send the signed paperwork, and then to back out for no justifiable reason, is really unacceptable, bush league behavior. It’s the kind of thing that should cost Kinzer is job as an agent. And it wouldn’t surprise me if it did.

Atlanta might be the only team to refuse to do business with them publicly, but I have no doubt that other teams are paying attention to this.

Hoping someone would post all this.
You know, I think Beane has more class than to publicly endorse an opinion on these guys, but I can tell you that Beane and company will think twice next time they deal with Kinzer or WMG as a whole. As will other teams. If teams have more than one guy on their radar, they’re not going to sit around and play tummy sticks with Kinzer when they know he’ll drag this shit out as long as possible. They’ll pounce on the other guy hoping for some lovin’ back.
Kinzer is gonna lose some clients soon, that’s for sure…

needs to create firepaulkinzer.com and make it their responsibility to “suggest” the firing of Kinzer.

It’s the golden rule of the professions. No idea how important his particular revenue is to that firm, but it’ll be a factor in how much they tolerate, vs. behind-the-scenes client groveling to try and make things right via contrition and promises of reformed business methods,

Am I the only one who thinks the real culprit here is Furcal, not Kinzer?

Kinzer has to represent his client. If the client is being wishy-washy, saying he’s ready to sign and then backing out, it puts the agent in a tough position. Short of cutting Furcal loose as a client, what do all you Kinzer critics think Kinzer could have done differently?

Back in 2005 his agent told then GM John Schuerholz he would get to make a counter offer only to see furcal sign with the dodgers before the Braves could get their counter offer. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. This doesnt mean his agent isn’t a bad. It means that the best indicator of future behaivor is past behavior.