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Johnny Lujan Becomes A Part Of Dynasty

I would like to welcome a new member into the Dynasty family, a week after he and his wife welcomed a new child into their own family.  Johnny Lujan, a Triple A pitcher with the New York Mets, had his first child; a daughter named Eden Isabella Lujan.  We wish Johnny, his wife Erica, and his new daughter all of the best.

Here is a little bit about Johnny Lujan’s past in MLB-affiliated baseball.  Lujan was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 15th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft.  In 2007, he move to the Chicago White Sox organization after being traded for catcher Chris Stewart.  He spent the past three years with the White Sox, but the Sox never protected Lujan by putting him on their 40-man roster.  Lujan was eligible in this past year’s Rule 5 Draft, and the New York Mets snagged him in the Triple A phase.  Johnny will be reporting to Major League Spring Training this weekend, a little bit late, due to the birth of his first child as mentioned above.  Without a doubt, though, he is ready to play, and he now has an extra incentive to make it up to the big leagues.

If Johnny can limit his walks and maintain his control on the mound, he will definitely be called up by the end of the year.  From 2008 to 2009, Lujan was able to increase his K/9, decrease his BB/9, and decrease his WHIP to a respectable 1.35.  I was shocked when I read that in 58.2 innings pitched, Lujan only gave up 1 homerun.  We are excited to represent our second player in the Mets organization, and one who is close to the big stage.

This will be the first player that Dynasty represents in conjunction with an outside entity.  Steve Weinberg, who has represented Johnny Lujan in the past, will continue to serve as Johnny Lujan’s primary agent.

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.

16 replies on “Johnny Lujan Becomes A Part Of Dynasty”

Congrads. Can you explain how something like this works? Dont most players just have one agency, I have never heard of two agencies representing one player in contract negotiations. Is this common practice? Thanks.

Actually, there are quite a few jointly represented athletes. This is especially the case for athletes who want distinct marketing advisors from contractual advisors. We will part of the formula in both aspects.

Ohh ok gotcha, so he will keep the other agent as the contractual advisor, and dynasty will handle the marketing/endorsements it that correct? Makes sense now! 🙂

No, I said that’s how some athletes do it. In this case, we will be helping on both ends. Primarily as marketing agents, but we also have a role on the contractual side.

Why will he defiantly be called up? Nothing is for certain. How often do Rule 5 Trips phase get called up the year after?

Absolutely no guarantee that he will be called up, but the fact that he was taken in the Triple A phase of the Rule 5 draft shows that the Mets see something in him. They had to compensate the White Sox for picking him up. I agree, nothing is for certain, but we cannot complain with Lujan’s current position.

Congratulations on the new addition. I’m a huge Mets fan, so I look forward to following Lujan’s situation extra closely.

Daren congrats on the new addition. I went to check out your baseball roster and its really extensive. Ive got to ask – how does a law student, with tuition and no regular income support 25 players financially. As far as I can tell you havent made a penny off any of them yet as they are all still in the minors and most if not all were signed after the draft (e.g. after bonuses were negotiated). Let me in on the secret buddy!

All kidding aside though, I’m really wondering how all the #s add up. 99% of kids in grad school can barely afford coffee and a sandwich, how are u supporting all these pro athletes? I obviously don’t expect to see a company finance list but I’d appreciate as much insight as u can disclose, thanks man

We have developed strong relationships with equipment manufacturers. I also had a successful business before starting Dynasty, in addition to a scholarship for law school.

Hi Darren, i looked at your baseball roster this weekend and noticed you have a player in Germany now. I was wondering how that came about, are European countries going to serve as a backup option for players who are not in the pro leagues in the US, such as the NBA? How competitive is the baseball bundesliega in Germany and what kind of contracts do the players sign, similar to minor league ones? I know the german soccer bundesliega is really good lol. Lastly, I noticed you have Jason Kershner as a client now, I remember seeing him play when he was in the majors. How did that come about too, is it looking like theres any chance of him getting back up? I always thought he had a lot of promise its great hes with Dynasty now. Thanks in advance.

Very astute and a nice observation. Lee Roberts had a great Rookie campaign with the Royals last year, but was unfortunately released. He still has a burning desire to play baseball, so with the help of our International partner, we were able to place him in Germany. Every year, Europe is becoming a better area for professional baseball. Traditionally, outside of the U.S., the Far East is a hotbed for baseball talent. It will be interesting to see what happens in Europe over time.

The contract signed is actually a little better than what Minor Leaguers make, but we hope that Lee will get another chance in MLB affiliated baseball in the future.

Kershner was a fantastic pick-up. He is a great guy, who still has it in him to make it back to the MLB. Right now, we have a few clubs within the country and outside of the country, interested in Jason.

Thanks for the response, I just looked at Lee’s stats and I agree he did well I am actually surprised he was let go. I would have guessed teams would only release players who put up terrible numbers in their first year. But if Leatherman and Parise’s careers are any indication of how the business operates i dont think Lee has anything to worry about 🙂

Huge Mets fan and live a stones throw from the Mets AAA affiliate stadium, look forward to seeing his progress.

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