San Diego Padres star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Big League Advance in an attempt to void his contract that he signed as a 17-year-old with the financial lender in the Dominican Republic.
Tatis Jr. is expected to lose somewhere around $34 million due to this lawsuit, but if the ruling goes in the Dominican’s favor, his deal with BLA would be voided, and he wouldn’t have to pay any percentage of his future earnings to the financial firm.
Attorney Robert Hertzberg said that while Tatis Jr. attempts to void the future earnings on his contract, the lawsuit also seeks to protect young ballplayers from entering into such vicious deals with unlicensed predatory firms.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Claims Filing the Lawsuit to Protect Young Players
After his lawsuit against BLA in San Diego County Superior Court, Tatis Jr. said, “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.”
He further noted, “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.”
Sports Director of 10 News and a staunch supporter of the Padres, Ben Higgins, shared an excerpt from the official press release by the two-time All-Star Dominican’s legal and PR team. The deal that Tatis Jr. signed as a 17-year-old required him to pay 10% of his future earnings to the firm in exchange for $2 million upfront. The expected loss of $34 million comes from the ten-year, $340 million deal he signed with the Padres before the 2021 MLB season.
The 2023 Platinum Gold Glove winner claims that he was fooled by the firm into signing the contract, as they hid valuable information regarding the legality of the organization from him.
Fernando Tatis, Jr. has filed a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court against Big League Advance. Here is part of the press release sent out by the legal and PR team: pic.twitter.com/v3D8qYoNsg
— Ben Higgins (@BenHigginsSD) June 23, 2025
While Tatis Jr. is battling the firm in court to protect the advances on his future earnings, he has been leading a valiant battle with the bat for his ballclub during the ongoing MLB campaign. The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner has been fairly decent in both departments of the game this season.
San Diego Padres and Tatis Jr. Have Been Fairly Decent This Season
Tatis Jr. has a .268 batting average, with 14 home runs, 34 RBIs, and an .819 OPS in 75 games played this season. He has amassed 77 hits in 287 at-bats, which includes two doubles and a triple. He is projected to hit more than 25 home runs and register more than 70 RBIs in 2025.
The Padres are 42-36 for the campaign, currently holding the third spot in the NL West division. They are winning the series against the Kansas City Royals, and they have now opened a three-game series against the Washington Nationals at home in Petco Park on Monday.