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Manny Being Demanding

Every day, ESPN informs us that something new has happened in the Manny Ramirez/Scott Boras/Ned Colletti/Los Angeles Dodgers negotiations, yet nothing has changed.  No deal has been made and Manny/Boras have little leverage; the baseball economy has shrunk and teams are not willing to spend THAT much money.  Sure, the Yankees have spent a great deal of dollars this off-season, but noticed the word spent.  Even the Yankees are done playing Supermarket Sweep, at least as far as position players are concerned.

For the majority of teams, Manny is not even close to an option.  Check out this piece by Doug Miller in MLB.com.  Players with extensive All-Star experience and potential Hall of Famers signed Minor League deals this offseason.  Sure, many of them will end up making 40-man rosters and get a huge increase in salary, but teams are getting serious about cutting spending.

Names you have heard of who signed Minor League deals include: Brendan Donnelly, Freddy Garcia, Marcus Giles, Eddie Guardado, Matt Herges, Jason Jennings, Andruw Jones, Jacque Jones, Bobby Kielty, Rob Mackowiak, Mark Prior RHP, Glendon Rusch, Mike Sweeney, Juan Uribe, Omar Vizquel, Daryle Ward, Jeff Weaver.

Now, I am not suggesting that Manny Ramirez sign a Minor League contract.  And I am not suggesting that Ramirez need be in Spring Training as early as many others in the league.  However, I would like to point out that Boras might not be playing his cards right in this situation.  He is the master of leverage, but who is he pitting up against the Dodgers?  Does Colletti truly believe that there are any suitors out there who will pay anywhere near what the Dodgers are offering?

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.

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