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November 19 – 40 Man Roster Deadline

Friday, November 19, is the deadline for Major League Baseball teams to finalize their 40 Man Rosters leading up to the Baseball Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft.  Many players will be “protected” on their organization’s 40 Man Roster in the final hour leading up to the deadline, as a preventative measure, so that other teams will not be able to pry away someone who has Major League potential.

My eye is on Dynasty Athlete Representation client Clint Robinson, who is a part of the Kansas City Royals‘ deep and talented farm system.  Robinson accomplished the following this past year, as a member of the Double-A Northwest Arkansas Naturals:

  • Triple Crown – The third player in Texas League history to hit for the Triple Crown (.335 AVG, 29 HR, and 98 RBI).
  • Led the Double-A Texas League in doubles (41), total bases (298), slugging (.625), and on-base-plus-slugging (1.035).  2nd in the league in hits (160) and runs (90).
  • Texas League Player of the Week three times and Texas League Player of the Month twice.
  • Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star.
  • Northwest Arkansas Naturals Player of the Year.
  • Northwest Arkansas Naturals Unsung Hero in 2010.
  • Broke the Northwest Arkansas Naturals hitting streak after hitting safely in 20 consecutive games.

Many people have correctly pointed out to me that in the history of the Rule 5 Draft very few first-basemen have been selected, and while I always like to take history into account, how many of those Rule 5 eligible first-basemen just came off of a Triple Crown year?  And how many of them have the character of Clint Robinson, a guy who won the organization’s Mike Sweeney Award, which is given to the player that best represents the Royals organization on and off the field?  Maybe teams will take a pass on Robinson in the Rule 5 Draft, but do the Royals really want to wait and see?

I talk to Clint almost every single day, and he continues to reinforce the fact that he loves the Kansas City Royals organization and hopes to stay there.  He continues to say that to me even though he understands that other very talented first-basemen exist within the organization (Billy Butler, Kila Ka’aihue, Eric Hosmer).

Royals Assistant General Manager, J.J. Picollo, recently stated, “You try to play the guessing game a little bit,” in reference to choosing who to protect leading up to the November 19 deadline.  Their General Manager, Dayton Moore, said that he anticipates adding 3-5 players to the 40 Man prior to the deadline.  All of us at the Dynasty family are waiting with anticipation.  But whether Robinson is added to the 40 Man roster or not, he will be ready to play in 2011.

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.