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Orlando Hudson’s Collecting On His Contract

Initially, I was not accurate on the name of Orlando Hudson‘s agent, but I was right on giving his agent praise for the structuring of Hudson’s 2009 contract.  As a reminder, this was the deal that Hudson signed with the Dodgers in the offseason:

  • $380,000 signing bonus, deferred without interest to a time not designated
  • $3 million base salary for 2009
  • $150,000 each for 150 and 175 plate appearances
  • $200,000 each for 200, 225, 250, 275 and 300 plate appearances
  • $250,000 each for 325, 350, 375, 400, 425, 450, 475, 500, 525, 550, 575 PAs
  • $10,000 for EVERY plate appearance from PA #576 through PA #632. That’s 57 PAs for total of $570,000.
  • also, BEGINNING WITH 550 PAs, every one of these incentives, including that $570k, is deferred without interest to a time not designated. And the contract requires Hudson to donate $25,000 to the Dodgers Dream Foundation.

The Dodgers won on this deal, because they acquired an All-Star that no one seemed to want.  Hudson has out-performed everyone’s expectations thus far and is well on his way to earning the full amount of his interestingly structured contract.  At the All-Star Break, Hudson has already accumulated 392 plate appearances.  That means Hudson has already guaranteed himself $5,430,000.

Kudos to Dodgers management and Greg Genske for a job well done.

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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