Ex-Marlins president claims Fernando Tatis Jr.'s lawsuit against BLA is for selfish reasons, gives background of Padres superstar's legal head

Former Miami Marlins president David Samson called out Fernando Tatis Jr. after the San Diego Padres outfielder filed a lawsuit against Big League Advance (BLA), a private investment firm known for offering upfront payments to minor leaguers in exchange for a share of their future earnings.

The lawsuit has been filed in California over Tatis Jr.'s contract with BLA in 2018 as a minor leaguer. At the time, BLA fronted the outfielder $2 million. Now they are looking to get a cut on Tatis Jr.'s mammoth $340 million contract, reportedly worth around $34 million.

Speaking about the lawsuit in Tuesday's episode on his podcast, Samson said Tatis' lawsuit is motivated by selfish reasons contrary to what the Padres star said in his statement about doing it “not just for myself, but for everyone still chasing their dream.”

“When you write that you’re doing something not just for you but for others, you really are doing it just for you,” Samson said (0:05 onwards). “If he’s not fighting it for himself, then he’ll donate the proceeds if he wins, right?”

BLA's business model offers some capital upfront in exchange for a fixed percentage of future MLB earnings.

Samson even took a shot at Fernando Tatis Jr.'s lawyer.

"But when I look at a lawsuit like what Tatis is offering—and he hires someone to be his lawyer, a former California State Senator, his name is Robert Hertzberg—he finds him," Samson added. "It’s a totally purposeful hire. And he’s one of the members of the big team representing Tatis.

"When Tatis realized, 'I don’t want to give these guys $34 million… uh, I’ll give them back the $2 million, no problem.' That wasn’t part of the deal, buddy boy."

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s legal strategy and California Law

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s legal team includes former California state senator Robert Hertzberg, who is trusting California's strict consumer laws to find BLA on an unfavorable verdict. Hertzberg alleged BLA's practices qualify as predatory and exploitative, especially when it comes to young Latin American players.

In a statement accompanying the lawsuit, Tatis said:

“I want to help protect those young players who don’t yet know how to protect themselves from these predatory lenders and illegal financial schemes. Kids’ focus should be on their passion for baseball, not dodging shady business deals.”

If the lawsuit ends up going against BLA, it could potentially how young players finance their early careers.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash