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Baseball Agent Josh Yates Leaves SFX; Brings Clients With Him To ACES

BOSTON - JUNE 27: Jon Lester #62 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch against the New York Mets on June 27, 2006 at Fenway Park in Boston Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jon Lester


It happens all the time. An agent goes from one company to another and brings his clients with him. In the case of baseball agent Josh Yates, he is on to his third company in the span of roughly five years.

Yates began his career as a baseball agent with the company CSMG, which had its baseball division along with its coaches, broadcast, legends and marketing divisions acquired by Octagon in 2008. Yates had left CSMG prior to much of the company being eaten up by Octagon. He had left the company to join the strong baseball division at SFX.

Fast forward a few years and Yates is on the move again. According to an SFX spokesperson, Yates left SFX on January 3, 2012 to join ACES, which is owned by Sam and Seth Levinson. Yates has taken Jon Lester, Mike Adams, and Felix Pie with him in addition to some Minor League players.

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.