Saturday smackdown: Scott Boras, Detroit Tigers’ Jim Leyland exchange heated words

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The Detroit Tigers have benched outfielder Magglio Ordonez, whose power has disappeared this season. Ordonez is batting .273 with two home runs and .343 slugging percentage through Friday. That slugging percentage ranked 69th among the 72 American League players with at least 225 plate appearances, ahead of Tampa Bay center fielder B.J. Upton and two shortstops, Seattle’s Yuniesky Betancourt and Oakland’s Orlando Cabrera.

Scott Boras, Ordonez’s agent, blasted the Tigers’ decision as ‘myopic’ in an interview with the Detroit News. Boras said the Tigers justified the decision solely on the decline in home runs. ‘That’s not compelling information for declaring failure,’ Boras said.

Tigers Manager Jim Leyland shot back this afternoon, according to this report from mlive.com.

‘I’m very respectful of Scott Boras, but I’m not going to listen to this [nonsense],’ Leyland said. ‘Scott Boras might be better off if he lets Magglio and myself handle this instead of him.’

Boras could file a grievance against the Tigers if Ordonez fails to start another 69 games or make another 215 plate appearances, either of which would guarantee Ordonez $18 million next season. Boras would have to convince an arbitrator that the Tigers prevented Ordonez from reaching those triggers for financial reasons, not poor performance. Leyland said Ordonez’s contract is not the issue.

‘This is about Magglio Ordonez and a manager trying to do something that he thinks may help and get him right,’ Leyland said. ‘Is it the right thing? I don’t know. But that’s what this is about. And I’m not going to take shots from people in the paper that are untruths. If it’s the truth and I’m wrong, then go ahead and punch me in the jaw, but don’t give me this [nonsense].’

-- Bill Shaikin