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On To The Next One: Francisco Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez, better known as K-Rod, is currently performing under a 3-year, $37 million contract that he signed with the New York Mets in 2008. If K-Rod closes 55 or more games this season, he will stay with the Mets in 2012 and earn a total of $17.5 million for that one year of service. No closer has ever earned that much money in a single year. If he cannot close out 55 or more games, K-Rod will still earn $3.5 million in a buyout and become a free agent. That 55 game clause was negotiated by his former agent, Paul Kinzer of Wasserman Media Group. It is looking like K-Rod will come close to the 55 game mark, as long as he stays healthy for the rest of the 2011 season.

But recently, K-Rod started thinking about what will happen if he does not close out 55 or more games this year. As a free agent, Kinzer would be back at the drawing board, talking to various teams and trying to put together a good deal for his client. However, K-Rod was not sure that he wanted Kinzer to be in charge of those negotiations.

Last week, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal found out that K-Rod was talking to Mets players who were represented by Scott Boras and asking those players what they thought about the services he provides. Further, other agents had been in contact with the Mets closer. Usually, when a player is asked about whether he is considering dropping his agent for a rival, that player will say no, even if he is secretly weighing his options. When K-Rod was asked whether he was considering making a switch to Boras, he stated, “That’s something, I cannot say that. I’m not going to answer that.” That was the first bad sign for Kinzer, who had told the Wall Street Journal that he had spoken to his client several times that week and received no indication that K-Rod was about to switch agents.

Over the weekend, K-Rod switched from Kinzer to Boras. The move certainly has to sting Kinzer, who said the following to the Wall Street Journal prior to his former client officially making the jump to Boras Corp.:

“It’s a sad part of the business. I’m not out trying to take everybody else’s players. I sign new players, but when I do, usually my players bring them to me. I don’t attack them whenever they come into L.A.”

Do not expect to find Kinzer and Boras at the same dinner table any time soon.

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.