Update: HOLLIDAY A CARD 7yr/120 million, p178

[jagtrader]

When this is all over we not only will know which team Holliday plays for next season, but also who is the better reporter, Joe Strauss or Buster Olney.

This is a home game for Strauss. No way he should lose to a national reporter on a story of this level. My guess is Olney's report is something fed to him by Boras to get more teams into the fray.

[jim]

Is Buster Olney the nerdy guy with the perpetual sinus infection?

[sighyoung]

Is Buster Olney the nerdy guy with the perpetual sinus infection?

His septum seemed undeviated to me. Maybe you're thinking of Kurkjian?

[Bo Hart]

I think he's thinking of John Clayton.

[jim]

Real whiny nasally voice nerdy anti-ESPN type guy on ESPN.

edit ... just looked him up, not the guy I was thinking of.

[TimeForGuinness]

Maybe the 5 year and 8 year deal are the same?

From Goold Twitter:

Also, Boras has written those opt-out clauses before and five years would make sense as the first walk-away option.

So maybe 5 years is the walk-away option on an 8 year deal?

[Michael]

Maybe the 5 year and 8 year deal are the same?

From Goold Twitter:

Also, Boras has written those opt-out clauses before and five years would make sense as the first walk-away option.

So maybe 5 years is the walk-away option on an 8 year deal?

Maybe, however it doesn't really jibe with ESPN's comment:

Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the Cardinals would like to stand on a five-year offer for free agent outfielder Matt Holliday.
This differs greatly from the eight-year offer reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. According to Olney, while the Cardinals are flexible to altering the deal, there is sentiment within the organization that they aren't competing with many teams -- if any -- at a similar level. As the dominoes continue to fall around major league baseball, they might be right.

Source: ESPN.com

[TimeForGuinness]

Maybe the 5 year and 8 year deal are the same?

From Goold Twitter:

Also, Boras has written those opt-out clauses before and five years would make sense as the first walk-away option.

So maybe 5 years is the walk-away option on an 8 year deal?

Maybe, however it doesn't really jibe with ESPN's comment:

Buster Olney of ESPN.com reports that the Cardinals would like to stand on a five-year offer for free agent outfielder Matt Holliday.
This differs greatly from the eight-year offer reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. According to Olney, while the Cardinals are flexible to altering the deal, there is sentiment within the organization that they aren't competing with many teams -- if any -- at a similar level. As the dominoes continue to fall around major league baseball, they might be right.

Source: ESPN.com

True, but then again...I don't know who is feeding who the information on the deal.

Early in this thread, we were discussing walk-away options and that 5 years made sense...just interesting to see those years line up. Maybe Boras is only quoting 5-years to get more parties interested? I don't know.

Either way, I hope the 5 year deal is around the $17 million per year...otherwise the Mets would jump in since Bay reportedly turned down their 4yr/$15.5 million offer.

[jim]

So what is everyone's gut feel on percentage chance he signs with us? 50%?

[Swirls]

Real whiny nasally voice nerdy anti-ESPN type guy on ESPN.

edit ... just looked him up, not the guy I was thinking of.

Probably Keith Law. He's got a nerdy voice that's pretty high pitched.