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James Paxton Continues To Sit And Wait

MLB Mock Drafts are much less exciting than NFL Mock Drafts.  The NFL Draft only has 7 rounds, but most “mock experts” only predict the first few rounds.  The MLB, with 50 rounds, is almost impossible to guess.  But the first round picks are usually known a year ahead of time.  With high school and college seasons just beginning, a few players who right now may not be projected as top picks will be able to translate their remarkable upcoming seasons to a first or second round draft grade.  Again, most first rounders are already known.  One of those “sure fire picks” is James Paxton.

James Paxton was supposed to be the #1 pitcher for the University of Kentucky this season.  He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays with the #37 overall pick (in the supplemental first round) of the 2009 MLB Draft.  Instead of signing after his Junior campaign, he decided to come back to the University of Kentucky to help his school in his Senior Year.  As a ‘thank you’, the University of Kentucky suspended him because he would not cooperate with NCAA investigators who wanted to question him about his advisor (Scott Boras) supposedly having direct communication with someone from the Blue Jays front office after Paxton was drafted last year (an NCAA rule violation).

The University of Kentucky began its baseball season last Friday, and James Paxton was not on the mound.  He should have been, though.  He still is projected to be a top-half of the first round pick.  Draftsite.com pegs him as the #7 overall pick; MyMLBDraft.com thinks he will be the #12 overall pick.  Whether or not Paxton plays, he is still seen as valuable, but will his performance and/or demeanor be affected by this legal nonsense?

My main concern continues to be the potential ramifications that this may have for future student-athletes in deciding whether or not to retain an advisor leading up to and following the MLB Draft.  Baseball parents cannot be thrilled to hear that having an advisor could lead their children to missing out on their final season of student-athlete eligibility.  In the end, the athletes who really could use strong advice from seasoned advisors will end up suffering.

The University of Kentucky still lists Paxton on their official roster.  Too bad no one can see his number on the field.

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 “James Paxton Continues To Sit And Wait”

[…] Here is my most recent post, which explains some more about James Paxton’s situation, in case his name does not ring a bell.  The gist: The University of Kentucky suspended Paxton because he would not cooperate with NCAA investigators who wanted to question him about his advisor (Scott Boras) supposedly having direct communication with someone from the Blue Jays front office after Paxton was drafted last year (an NCAA rule violation). […]

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