In a significant legal move, San Diego Padres’ standout Fernando Tatis Jr. initiated a lawsuit on Monday seeking to annul a future earnings agreement he entered into at the age of 17. This contract, made with Big League Advance (BLA), has the potential to cost Tatis approximately $34 million.
According to the lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of San Diego County, Tatis claims that BLA employed coercive strategies to entice him into an “investment deal” that ultimately functioned as an unlawful loan. The lawsuit further accuses BLA of deceit, suggesting they misrepresented their intentions and concealed their lack of licensing, pushing Tatis into accepting terms that contravene California’s consumer protection laws.
Robert Hertzberg, Tatis’ attorney, noted that the suit not only aims to annul the contract but also seeks broader public injunctive relief intended to safeguard young athletes from entering similar agreements. As per Hertzberg’s statement, Tatis initially received $2 million upfront in exchange for a promise to relinquish 10% of his future earnings. This deal later became contentious after Tatis secured a monumental $340 million, 14-year contract in February 2021. The lawyer emphasized that under the current agreement, Tatis could be held liable for payments from any subsequent contracts unless the questionable deal is invalidated.
Tatis voiced his concerns, expressing his ambitions beyond personal gains. “This fight is not only for myself but also for every aspiring athlete aiming to uplift their family’s future,” he said in a public statement. He stressed the necessity to shield young athletes from what he calls predatory financial schemes, urging young players to focus on their love for baseball instead of navigating through dubious financial traps.
Despite being approached, Tatis refrained from further comments ahead of the Padres’ game against the Washington Nationals on Monday night. Hertzberg affirmed that despite the agreement being signed in the Dominican Republic, California’s consumer protection laws are applicable to Tatis’s situation.
Big League Advance, when contacted, opted not to provide comments on the lawsuit. Hertzberg, utilizing his experience as a former California Senate leader, condemned BLA’s practices, asserting that the organization blatantly ignored state laws designed to prevent exploitative financial practices.
Throughout his promising career, Tatis has faced challenges including injuries and an 80-game suspension by MLB in 2022 over a performance-enhancing drug controversy. He emerged into Major League Baseball in 2019, earning All-Star status at shortstop in 2021 and in right field in subsequent seasons.
In a related development, Big League Advance previously pursued legal action against Franmil Reyes, a former Padres outfielder, in June. Filed in the Delaware Superior Court, BLA alleges Reyes defaulted on contractual obligations, accumulating over $400,000 in overdue payments and additional interest, alongside claims related to his playing stint in Japan.