Boras slams Jeter, Marlins for trying to cut payroll

Scott Boras, the bombastic agent who represents several of this offseason's top free agents, expressed his displeasure Wednesday at the GM Meetings over Derek Jeter's plan to dramatically reduce the Miami Marlins' payroll over the coming months without due consideration for how it'll affect the rest of the league.

Specifically, Boras took umbrage at the prospect of trading away stars like Giancarlo Stanton - effectively choosing to be non-competitive - to finance the sale of the club, which Jeter and his partners purchased from Jeffrey Loria for $1.2 billion last month.

"Basically the idea is to reduce the debt service to pay for the franchise by reducing all major-league payroll, not being competitive, basically using the argument that we're going to build a successful team through development," Boras told Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

"That has nothing to do with the fans. It has nothing to do with winning. It has nothing to do with anything other than a financial plan that suits ownership without consideration of the impact it has on Major League Baseball."

Related: Jeter hasn't spoken with Stanton since taking over Marlins

Jeter - the public face of the Marlins' new ownership group as well as their new CEO - made it clear Wednesday that the front office will have to take major steps to turn around "an organization that's been losing money for quite some time."

Earlier reports indicated that Jeter will look to slash the team's payroll to around $90 million. Though he is loath to use the word, a rebuild appears to be in the offing for Jeter, who admitted Wednesday that "we're building for the future," and there may be "unpopular decisions" looming.

If Boras were commissioner, though, he'd implement rules to punish teams that lose upwards of 90 games in their first season under new ownership.

"When we allow sales of teams, there needs to be some sort of legislation," Boras said. "There needs to be some restriction so that the integrity of the game, as it applies to other teams, is considered. So we don’t have divisions playing an opponent that's going to win 55 games where other divisions have teams winning 75 to 95 games.

"You can choose to do that, but if you do this, and you have the right to do it, you will suffer economic penalties for creating records that are below 60 and 50 (wins). And your purchase price may be added to it while you are trying to reduce it, which then will give them incentive to be competitive."