Wade Boggs received a verbal promise from Jean Yawkey for a new contract at the end of 1991 that would allow him to finish his career in Boston, with terms he recalled as $37 million over seven years. He pushed to secure the deal immediately and offered to sign on a napkin. Yawkey died in February 1992, after which Boston management removed the offer. Boggs became a free agent following the 1992 season. The Yankees called the next morning and arranged a meeting at a hotel owned by George Steinbrenner, with GM Joe Molloy present while Steinbrenner remained banned from day-to-day operations.
According to Boggs, Jean Yawkey promised him that he would get a new contract at the end of the 1991 season and "follow in the same footsteps as Carl [Yastrzemski] and Ted [Williams]," playing their entire careers in Boston. The terms he recalled were for $37 million over seven years. Boggs explained that he was so adamant to sign at that point that he even offered to sign the deal on a napkin. "I'll sign a napkin right now," Boggs said. "And [Yawkey] says, 'Don't worry about it, Lou [Gorman] and John [Harrington] will get it done.'"
"The next morning, the Yankees called," Boggs recounted, saying that a meeting was set up at a hotel owned by then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. New York general manager Joe Molloy was present, though Steinbrenner was still serving a ban from day-to-day operations of the team after paying gambler Howard Spira to dig up dirt on outfielder Dave Winfield. "We sit down and have a conversation and we're talking and Joe Molloy goes, 'Would three
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