As the Philadelphia Phillies aim to get their season back on track under Don Mattingly, they face the San Diego Padres. After an initial boost following the managerial change, the team has now dropped two consecutive series heading into this three-game matchup against San Diego.
Hoping to secure a series win on the road, the Phillies may also benefit if Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. continues to struggle offensively especially after a major legal blow.
According to Dorian Hargrove of the Times of San Diego, Tatis Jr.’s lawsuit against a talent prospector has been dismissed. The firm had given the then-18-year-old prospect $2 million in exchange for 10% of his future earnings. As a result, Tatis must now pay millions more, plus attorney’s fees.
Tatis had challenged the 2017 agreement with Big League Advance, arguing the firm took advantage of him as a teenager in the Dominican Republic. Despite a stellar career—three All-Star appearances, two Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, and a 14-year, 340millioncontractwiththePadressignedin2022 hewasorderedtopaythefirm3.74 million, as reported by NBC San Diego.
Interestingly, Phillies fans may recognize the owner of Big League Advance: former Philadelphia pitcher Michael Schwimer, who pitched for the team in 2011 and 2012. He founded the company in October 2016. Beyond Tatis, the firm has faced a lawsuit from former minor league catcher Francisco Mejia over alleged predatory lending.
Schwimer told Sports Illustrated in 2018, “There’s a lot of people with a negative view of Big League Advance based on Mejia’s false complaint… but I didn’t build the company for those people.”
Now dealing with this legal setback, Tatis will look to revive his slow start to the season against the Phillies. He is currently batting just .247/.326/.289—numbers that would be career lows.
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