With Boras, good often outweighs bad

In baseball, it's known simply as "The Boras Effect."

Nobody has done more to contribute to the rapidly increasing bonuses paid out than the sport's most famous -- or infamous, depending on your perspective -- agent. Boras rules the draft like no other: In 2006, he represented the first overall pick, Luke Hochevar. The following year he represented three of the top ten selections, and in 2008 he had the second and third picks. This past year was his best ever, in some respects. Not only did he negotiate over $25 million in contracts by representing the first three picks in the draft, but four more selections in the first 60 signed for another $10 million plus -- not to mention the two unsigned picks in that range who will be looking for seven-figure deals this coming summer.

The 2010 draft isn't as star-studded for Boras as last year's was, but once again his influence is strong. Not only does he represent historic talent Bryce Harper; he also will be conducting the negotiations for Florida prepster Manny Machado, generally considered the top high school position player in the draft and expected to go either second overall to the Pittsburgh Pirates or third to the Baltimore Orioles.