Categories
Contract Negotiation MLB Players MLB Rules MLB Teams

Pedro May Soon Be A Pirate

Was it all an image issue?  Was Boras Corp pissed that Buster Posey, a guy drafted later than Boras client, Pedro Alvarez, received the highest signing bonus in the history of the MLB Amateur Draft?  At dusk on August 16th, reports stated that Posey received a $6.2 million bonus from San Francisco while Alvarez ended up with a cool $6 mil.  Less than two weeks later, the MLBPA was looking into whether the Pirates followed MLB rules which state that a drafted player with collegiate eligibility remaining must be signed by midnight of August 15th.  Boras had notified the MLBPA that the $6 million deal was actually signed forty-five minutes after the deadline, thus violating the rule and voiding the Alvarez contract.  Apparently, another Boras client, Eric Hosmer, had not signed prior to the deadline as well.  Both Alvarez and Hosmer had to sit out the remainder of their rookie ball campaigns due to the controversy.

Yesterday, the situation took a turn when reports noted that Pedro Alvarez and camp Boras agreed to a 4-year, major league contract with a $6.355 million bonus (ESPN prefers to round up to $6.4 million).  Surprised that this bonus is for more than Posey’s?  Does it all boil down to an ego issue?  Maybe, but at least Alvarez and Hosmer may be able to take the field again soon.  A source cited in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes that this new deal will put an end to the pending MLBPA grievance against the MLB.

I think John Manuel of BaseballAmerica.com says in the first line of his piece what we are all thinking right now: So the Aug. 15 signing deadline really isn’t a deadline after all.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

One reply on “Pedro May Soon Be A Pirate”

Comments are closed.