A California court has ordered San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. to pay approximately $3.74 million to Big League Advance following a legal battle over a financial agreement the baseball player signed as a teenager.
The dispute stems from a contract Tatis entered into with Big League Advance (BLA) in 2017, when he was just 18 years old. Under the terms of that agreement, the company provided Tatis with $2 million upfront in exchange for 10 percent of his future major league baseball earnings. At the time, Tatis had spoken positively about the arrangement, noting that the immediate funding enabled him to employ a personal trainer and make other career-enhancing investments.
The legal trouble began when Tatis ceased making his required payments in 2024, leading BLA to initiate arbitration proceedings to recover the money they claimed was due. In response, Tatis filed a lawsuit against the company in June 2025, arguing that BLA had enticed him into what essentially constituted an illegal lending arrangement.
The lawsuit stated: “Defendants have built a business model that preys on young, financially unsophisticated athletes, offering lump-sum advances in exchange for significant portions of their future earnings.”
An arbitrator ruled in favor of BLA last fall, determining that Tatis owed the full $3.74 million amount that had accumulated since he stopped making payments. Tatis then sought relief from the San Diego County circuit court, but California state judge Judy S. Bae ruled on Friday that his petition was filed too late to be valid.
Judge Bae determined that Tatis had forfeited his right to judicial review because his petition should have been submitted before the arbitration process commenced. However, Tatis’ legal team indicated they plan to challenge this decision.
“The court made significant findings against BLA, and the only thing they prevailed on was timeliness of the challenge,” attorney Mitts explained to Front Office Sports, referencing the judge’s determination that BLA could be classified as a lender and that California law applies to the case. “That is something which we are very likely to appeal, and we feel strongly we have a very good chance.”
The financial stakes are substantial for Tatis, who signed a massive 14-year, $340 million contract with the Padres in 2021 when he was considered one of baseball’s most promising young talents. Based on that contract, his total obligation to BLA under their original agreement would amount to $34 million.
Now 27 years old, Tatis has established himself as one of baseball’s premier players, earning three All-Star selections, two Gold Glove awards, a Platinum Glove award, and two Silver Slugger honors. Throughout his seven-season career with San Diego, spanning 722 games, he has maintained a .275 batting average while hitting 152 home runs, driving in 409 runs, and stealing 136 bases. His career was interrupted in 2022 when he missed the entire season due to a combination of a wrist injury and an 80-game suspension for using a prohibited substance.
