San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. filed a lawsuit on Monday against Big League Advance (BLA), attempting to void a contract he signed as a teenage minor-leaguer that states he owes the company a share of his future earnings.
According to the suit, filed in San Diego County Superior Court, the 26-year-old Tatis signed a deal with BLA in 2017 as a 17-year-old player that paid him $2 million in exchange for 10 percent of his future earnings. Per the contract with BLA, Tatis would owe the company $34 million after signing a 14-year, $340 million deal in February 2021.
Per a press release from Tatis’ legal team, the two-time All-Star is looking to hold BLA accountable for “exploitative, predatory business practices, which shamelessly push illegal loans on young, vulnerable athletes — most from economically disadvantaged Latin American countries.”
The year after he signed the deal with BLA, Tatis was a top 10 prospect in baseball and debuted with San Diego in 2019.
In a 2018 interview with The Athletic, Tatis said, “I’m not afraid. I’m not going to spend that money stupidly. You’ve got to be smart with your decisions, with what you’re going to do.”
Now Tatis is aiming to protect younger players from “predatory lenders.”
“I’m fighting this battle not just for myself but for everyone still chasing their dream and hoping to provide a better life for their family,” Tatis said in a press release. “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.”
Tatis entered Monday’s game against the visiting Washington Nationals hitting .268 with 14 home runs and 34 RBIs in 75 games. In six seasons with the Padres spanning 591 games, Tatis is a .278 hitter with 141 home runs and 365 RBIs, along with 107 stolen bases.
–Field Level Media
