Page 128 of Challenge Me

As I sat at the table in the restaurant, I struggled not to overly fidget. My agent, Vera, had told me this meeting was important, but she hadn’t been all that forthcoming. Shawn sat across from her, speaking in a low voice while they drank. I had a game in the morning, so I sipped on my water, wishing I could turn it into wine. More preferable would be whiskey.

I wondered if Remi could get one of those gods of his to do it for me. The thought made me chuckle, which drew the attention of the others at the table.

“You must be exhausted already,” Vera said in her most professional tone. I’d gotten her to be conversational many times throughout our years together, so this must’ve been serious.

“I’m not quite thirty,” I replied. “Give it another two years and I’ll start complaining.”

Both of them laughed. It was stuffy, like they were just waiting to drop the hammer on me.

“You know I hate bureaucracy,” I told them. “If something’s happened, we should get it out there right off the bat.”

Vera leaned her elbows on the table. “Relax, Amir. It’s nothing like that.”

“This is your sixth year,” Shawn commented while he swirled the ice in his glass. “Have you thought about your plans for next season? You’ll be a free agent.”

I crossed my ankles under the table. “Of course I’ve thought about it.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard whispers about interest from other teams.”

“We’re not here to talk about Amir’s other options,” Vera interrupted. “You know those negotiations aren’t underway yet.”

The corner of Shawn’s lips lifted. “Officially.”

She returned the expression. It was like a silent battle for dominance. They each knew things, had heard the chatter that happened among the other suits and commentators.

“The Red Sox are interested in keeping you,” Vera explained, finally looking at me more fully. “They understand that, as a soon-to-be free agent, you’ll garner interest around the league.” Her eyes flicked to Shawn, then returned to me. “Your stats speak for themselves, and if you have as good a season as you did last year, well . . .”

“Alright, I’m listening.”

“Nothing’s official yet,” Shawn warned. “But some of us have discussed you at length over the past couple of months. Longer, really, because you fought like hell to get us that near-win in the World Series. People have noticed you.”

“Sounds like a normal Tuesday lately.”

“I can’t give you an exact number, but you’re likely looking at five years, roughly eighty million.”

“Eighty million?” I nearly choked on the number.

“That’s sixteen AAV,” Vera said with a barely concealed smile on her face.

“Yeah, I got the math, but . . . That’s generous.”

She dropped her voice, turning to block out Shawn. “You’ve earned it. You’re consistent at third, your WAR’s nearly at the top of the charts, you’re hitting .295 so far this season. You’re one of the most valuable players right now.”

“Above McKinney?”

She snorted. “Nobody’s above McKinney. It’s a blessing he’s not given a bat.”

Leaning back in my seat, I brought the water to my lips. I knew there was no obligation right now. This wasn’t an official offer, but it was likely enough that Shawn and Vera wanted to have this meeting with me. They wanted me to know what I’d lose if I decided to look elsewhere. Sure, another team might offer me more when it came time, but it wasn’t like I wanted to leave my home and uproot my entire life. I couldn’t do that to Mal or Avery, and I had Remi to think about now.

Hell, I didn’t give a shit what they offered me. This was my career, and I would’ve signed for another six million a year until the day I died.

“When can we expect a more official discussion?” Vera asked.

“Mid-June, I imagine,” Shawn replied.

She hummed. “You have some time to deliberate with your family, Amir. We’ll talk more about it.”

I nodded, unsure what else to say. Deliberating was something I would absolutely be doing at length.