Bo McKinnis

Bo McKinnis is a Major League Baseball sports agent. He was a student manager of the baseball team at Mississippi State University. While attending graduate business school at Vanderbilt University, he was asked by a Mississippi State teammate, Pete Young (who pitched in the Major Leagues with the Montreal Expos), to serve as his sports agent. He has gone on to represent over 100 Major League players, including Paul Byrd, R. A. Dickey, Sonny Gray, and Rusty Greer. ^{[1] [2]} He has represented over 20 first round draft picks, including Dewon Brazelton (third overall in 2001) and David Price (first overall in 2007). ^[3]

Career

In 2012, McKinnis became the first, and only, agent ever to represent both Cy Young Award winners in the same year. David Price won the award in the American League and R. A. Dickey won the award in the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. ^[4]

In December 2015, McKinnis negotiated the largest contract in Major League Baseball history for a pitcher when David Price received a seven-year $217 million contract from the Boston Red Sox. This also tied the record for largest average salary ever received by any player at $31 million per year, tying with Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. This contract is also the largest contract ever in the history of the Boston Red Sox franchise. ^[5]

In January 2015, McKinnis negotiated the largest one-year contract in the history of Major League Baseball salary arbitration when David Price received a 2015 salary of $19,750,000 from the Detroit Tigers. ^[6]

McKinnis is one of only two agents to have twice set the record for the largest signing bonus ever given to a drafted pitcher. In 2001, he set the record for the largest signing bonus ever given to a drafted pitcher with Dewon Brazelton receiving $4.2 million from the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2007, McKinnis broke his own record when David Price received an even larger signing bonus, $5.6 million, also from the Rays. ^[7]

According to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, in 2018 McKinnis inadvertently pushed his client Gray to the Yankees, despite Gray not wanting to pitch for them. Cashman said that during the 2018 trade deadline, McKinnis told Gray to lie about wanting to play in New York, where he did not in fact want to play, in order to increase his trade value. The Yankees, unaware of Gray's opposition, traded for Gray, and Gray subsequently struggled pitching in New York. McKinnis denied Cashman's claim. ^[8]

Book Citations

McKinnis has been written about and referenced in four books: Michael Lewis's 2003 book, Moneyball; Paul Byrd's 2008 book, Free Byrd; R. A. Dickey's 2012 autobiography, Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball; and Shi Davidi's 2013 book, Great Expectations: The Lost Toronto Blue Jays Season. ^[9]

In addition, McKinnis became the first sports agent to ever be featured in the Sporting News 125-year history in the column "On the Agent Side" in its January 17, 2011 issue. ^[10]

References

1. "25 December 2002 - Pitcher Paul Byrd Glad To Return To Atlanta Braves - Sports - Chattanoogan.com". Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
2. Cashman: Stanton a 'great Yankee'; GM expresses regret over how lefty's tenure ended - NYYFans.com Forum
3. Potential No. 1 Pick Price Taking Nothing For Granted ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
4. 'Cy Agent' Bo McKinnis wins trust of baseball's best pitchers
5. Red Sox, David Price reach record-breaking $217m deal
6. David Price smashes arbitration record with $19.75 million payday
7. Official Draft Site of Baseball America
8. Blum, Ronald (December 8, 2025). "Cashman says Gray expressed desire to play for Yankees at behest of agent to protect value". The Associated Press. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
9. "Official Site of Free Byrd book". Archived from the original on 2018-04-15. Retrieved 2019-04-26.
10. On the Agent Side ^{[ dead link ]}