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Want to be an MLB agent? (Part I…of many)

Baseball is like a big game of monopoly

The sport that I am most interested in is baseball, but I do love all sports (except for hockey…which is more like a bloodbath with a puck that shuffles around on ice…I kid). Anyway, I figure that I will tackle the important aspects of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) today and leave the rest for another time. Here are the facts that I found would be most relevant for any future Baseball Agent.

  • In 2005, the average salary for an MLB player was $2,476,589.
  • In 2006, the minimum salary for an MLB player will be $327,000 (as discussed in a prior thread).
  • A player may become eligible for salary arbitration one of two ways:
  • A player with less than 6 years in the MLB, but 3 or more years at that level
  • A “Super Two”: A player with at least 2 years in the MLB, but less than 3 years at that level. He must have accumulated at least 86 days of MLB service during the past season and rank in the top 17% in total service in the class of Players who have at least two but less than three years of MLB service
  • The majority of arbitration cases are settled before the actual hearing.
  • A player with 6 or more years of MLB service is eligible for free agency.
  • The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires on Dec. 19, 2006 (I will make a post updating the state of baseball…don’t worry)
  • A player’s agent must be certified by the MLBPA after his/her client is placed on a 40-man MLB roster
  • There are over 300 certified MLBPA agents.
  • The agent fee IS NOT limited by the MLBPA. An agent fee may not be created if the player is not making more than minimum salary (listed above). If the player’s salary is above minimum salary, the agent may not acquire a fee large enough to pit the player’s salary below the minimum after the fee is extracted.

I think that should be enough information for today. I plan to read the current CBA soon and tackle the important sections within the document. There are many interesting points listed above, and I hope to gain some insightful comments (now that they are working).

[tags]mlb, baseball, mlbpa, baseball agent, sports agent, cba, agent fee, free agency, arbitration[/tags]

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.

5 replies on “Want to be an MLB agent? (Part I…of many)”

Great site, but how do you break into the field?? I’m actually in law school, but I’m just not sure how I break into the sports agent field. Baseball is my life and I’d love to stick w/ it!!

Breaking in is the difficult part, and once you break into the industry, you must make sure that you don’t make any mistakes…because Agents are very expendable.

My suggestion is to start making any connections that you can while you are in law school. Meet athletes, potential athletes, current agents, etc. Start talking to the big firms, start talking to athletes about what you want to do. Just getting the Law Degree won’t do anything for you.

By Post Author

[…] This post seems apropos since it is February, and February is the season for abritration. In a previous post titled, “Want to be an MLB agent? (Part I…of many)”, arbitration in baseball was briefly discussed. It was noted that: […]

[…] As was reported last week by MLB.com, Luke Hochevar (1st overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft) has been signed by the Kansas City Royals and now has a 4 year Major League contract [Royals agree with top pick Hochevar].  Why is it particularly important that Scott Boras got his client a Major League contract?  The answer is that now Hochevar must be placed on the 40-man roster immediately and will have to be placed on Kansas City’s 25-man roster within three years, or Hochevar will be able to go to another team through waivers [Royals Sign No. 1 Draft Pick to Major League Contract].  Hochevar will be eligible for free-agency and arbitration earlier, as he will start his major league service immediately. […]

As far as breaking in to the industry, the networking aspect is the key. The more agents your contact (in any manner) the better chance you will have. It is true, that even if an agent/firm takes a chance on you, you need to prove yourself to the “nth” degree. They know what they are looking for and will decide if you can cut it within a short period of time. So know your stuff!

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