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On To The Next One: Ervin Santana

September 30, 2012; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Credit: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE
September 30, 2012; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) throws to the Texas Rangers in the first inning at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Credit: Jim Cowsert-US PRESSWIRE

Major League Baseball pitcher Ervin Santana is back to being represented by Bean Stringfellow at baseball agency Proformance.  This is his second stint with Stringfellow, whom he left in June to become a client of Wasserman Media Group.  However, Santana returned to Stringfellow (and colleague Jay Alou), prior to the recent announcement that Santana was traded by the Los Angeles Angels to the Kansas City Royals.  The Angels received minor league relief pitcher Brandon Sisk and cash considerations in return for the former all-star.

Santana has 96 wins in the majors and is only 29-years-old.  In response to the trade, Stringfellow said, “He’s happy, but it’s mixed emotions.  This has been talked about in print for quite a while so he’s had a chance to prepare himself.  But at the same time, he was signed as an amateur coming out of the Dominican Republic and it’s the only organization he’s known, so from that regard, it’s got to be a little bit of a disappointment, I guess. But when I talked to him, he was genuinely excited.”

Santana will cause excitement at Proformance if he can put together a strong 2013 campaign, because he is set to hit the free agent market in 2014, and could place himself in a position for a contract with an average salary in the 8-digit range.

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.