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Contract Negotiation MLB Players MLB Teams Sports Agents

Can I Have Two Crunchy Tacos And A Side Of Torii Hunter, Please?

Move Over Tacoby, There Are Others In The Taco GameMorton’s Steakhouse? Capital Grille? Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse? Those are so old school. Next time you are going to sit down with an owner to sign a multi-million dollar deal for your client, do it at a fast food joint! That’s the setting for Torii Hunter’s contractual negotiations.

Larry Reynolds of Reynolds Sports Management does not care where the signing takes place, as long as his clients are justly compensated. The Anaheim Angels ended up giving Hunter a 5-year $90 million contract, which is the highest valued contract in Angels history [Angels’ special order filled in Corona].

So where do you ink the largest contract in Angels history? At a Del Taco, of course! Reynolds and the Angels GM finished up the deal at a local hotel. I am sure that no one was actively searching for either party in either locales. I actually find it warming that two people could negotiate such an important deal in a comfortable setting. Negotiations should not be adversarial, but where both sides give a little to one another before an amicable deal is created.

Here is Hunter’s take on the contract negotiations between his agent and the Angels GM:

“I always imagined my deal would get done inside a board room or a Capital Grille. Turns out it was done at a Del Taco. Can you believe it? The deal gets done over some tacos.“

Must have been the best tasting Tacos in Larry Reynolds’ life.

As a side note, the Minnesota Twins are looking to fill their taco void by trading Johan Santana for Tacoby Bellsbury and others.

-Darren Heitner

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.