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MLB Assignments And Cuts

Last week, we found out that Dynasty‘s Pete Parise will be starting the year with the AA Springfield Cardinals.  Additionally, Kyle Gunderson and Dan Leatherman (after a brief stint in extended Spring Training) will be with the High A Potomac Nationals.  But not all players were happy throughout different stages of last week, when MLB organizations posted their assignments.  In fact, some got the bad news that they were let go by their club (fortunately no Dynasty clients were released).

Garrett Broshuis has a good read on BaseballAmerica.com, which talks about the anxiety that players feel as they approach the roster/assignment sheet.

The paper lives on a wall at the entrance to the clubhouse. It is a dynamic document, changing every couple of days, and it mystically captivates us. Each step within the clubhouse draws heavier as one approaches it. Hearts race and breaths grow short, such is its strength. One never knows what fortunes it will bring, but for most, it is almost always a silent bearer of bad news.

And we can all think of many examples like Garrett’s friend Justin.

Over years of playing together, special bonds are forged between teammates. Justin Hedrick, of my draft class, has played with me throughout the minor leagues. He has always put up outstanding numbers despite not being a hard thrower. In fact, he produced a 1.37 ERA last season in Double A last season, proving to be almost unhittable. Despite this, he was recently released.

Justin arrived to the park one day and went to his locker. Assuming the worst, everyone grew silent as a coach entered the room. Justin was ushered away, taken to the office like a kid in grade school who had played in the mud. He couldn’t believe what they were telling him.

“They told me that they didn’t have a spot for me in Triple-A and that I deserved a shot with someone else. They said they were releasing me early so I would have a better chance of getting picked up by someone else.”

That’s what we call the politics of baseball.  Even if your clients are killing it, their jobs are never safe.

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.

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