It is beginning to look like my '07 LHP may need of the services of an advisor in short order. Dibble posted a link to amazon.com for "An Athlete's Guide to Agents" which I plan to get right away. Can anyone direct me to Internet resources or a list of MLB Certified Contract Advisors?

SoCalDad07...you have a PM

Most states require agents/advisors to be licensed. May want to start there

Keep in mind that an "Advisor" is not necessarily an "agent" and vice versa

And until such time as you go pro you, according to the NCAA, cannot have an "agent".

ALWAYS keep this in mind...

Is the "advice" you receive from the advisor/agent pertain more to YOUR interest or HIS?

Let's face it... almost every advisor makes his living being an agent. This is a business that involves the good, the bad and the extremely ugly.

You will run across some very good salesmen, be sure to check things out thoroughly. The good thing is you can change your mind and change advisors in a heart beat. If you do, though, some will try to black ball you and some just continue to go about their business.

PG,

SoCalDad you have a PM

Couple of things we found important.

I am not interested in meeting an advisor for the first time and hearing about how he is better than the next guy and can do more for me than XYZ agency.

An advisor should give you the pros and cons of going pro HS vs. college.

An advisor should be more interested in what you can do for the future, not just the $$ you will make at signing.

What can you do for me after you become my agent. What companies do you have relationships with for my equipment or card deals.

What relationships do you have with teams. What team do you feel that is interested in me that may be in my best interest to sign with.

Are you recognized as an agent to do business with MLB?

Will you educate me on signing bonus' for each round.

Are you educated on all the changes that occur and do you speak regularly to union representatives regarding interpretations of rules.

How much do you want from me if you become my agent. Will you take a percentage of the whole bonus or just extra that is negotiated?

Have you been through arbitration?

Will you not speak on my behalf so that I do not lose my eligibility, but educate me on the process as to what to say and questions to ask scouts.

Who do your clients include? Why are you interested in me as a possible client?

quote:

An advisor should give you the pros and cons of going pro HS vs. college.

TPM, since we have never had an advisor or an agent, but strongly feel they are necessary if your son is in a position where he is an attractive client, I will provide some additional thoughts and perhaps a bit of a different view on the one subject listed above.
Personally, I would not want an advisor to provide the pros and cons of professional vs college. Most of us know what were are getting in college, or at least we should know if the research was done. No matter what, every advisor is going to bring some element of bias to this and that bias is likely to sign as that is how they make money. I just don't think a family/player needs the advisor's recommendations on what to do.
What most of us don't know is professional baseball and the business side, and there is a lot to know and learn. I would want an advisor to help to fully understand the game of professional baseball and business of professional baseball so the player and family can then balance the pros/cons of college and professional ball and make a decision.
Things I would be looking for from an advisor, in addition to those you have included:
1.) Explain the MLB college scholarship program;
2.) How do you see the 8/15 mandatory signing date affecting signing bonuses/slot money compared to past years and why;
3.) Should the 8/15 date change the way the player/family should approach the draft;
4.) What benefits are provided to minor leaguers;
5.) Help me understand what life is like in the minor leagues--differences between Rookie ball/short season vs AZL/GCL; is development different in professional ball than college and how is it different?
6.) Can an invitation to Fall instructionals be included in the negotiations; how important is it for a player to participate in Fall instrux?
7.) How long is the contract that players sign and what are my rights under that contract?
8.) Are there organizations that are better/worse for development/investment in their minor leaguers, especially for the position I play? Can you provide specifics?
9.) What benefits are available to minor leaguers?
10) In minor league ball, where do I live, who arranges it, who pays for it, what will my days be like?
11.) Do you provide off season conditioning recommendations and do you have baseball specific trainers you can recommend?
12.) What if I don't perform well in Milb? Can I change my mind and go back to college?
13.) What if I don't perform well in Milb my first year? What can I expect? Will I sit on the bench?
While I have others, these are some that I would include if I were the parent of a high school senior talking and evaluating advisors. I know most of us want to assume everything will go well whether our son goes to college or signs. I think it is very important to realize that isn't always true as players make this step. College ball provides a support mechanism to make that adjustment that is different than minor league ball.
They both can work but they are much different. It is the difference in Milb that I would want a good advisor to help my high school senior and our family understand.l

Thank you infielddad for providing more info!

Another one is the new implications of the rule 5 draft (did I get that right, extending it one more year). This is going ot make an impact on decisions. JMO.

As far as the 8/15 signing date, for college coaches it still makes no difference, a week or two. For some stuck in the negotiation process it will have an impact.

As far as advice on going pro out of HS vs college, you make a good points. However, do know that there are many agents that won't even represent anyone unless they go to college first. It's important to understand their philososphy and where they stand. But that's just my opinion.

And last but not least, you are correct, it is a business and you would want someone to give advice that is very familiar with that side of baseball!

I dont think a high school player needs a advisor if he intends to go to college.
An advisor trys to get the player in the best position for the draft and signing bonus. He will advise you to get your "ducks in a row" with college and /or jr college if that will give you leverage with MLB. I dont think he is bias, that is his job.
If your going pro agents make the process a great deal easier

Lets turn this a bit and look at this from the selfish family side because the bottom line it is about you.

Is it correct to say that for the most part advisors are in it for themselves, it is their business.

If so, and they are using the situation, why not use the situation yourself as a learning tool. Where else can you get something for nothing. The knowledge you learn now is knowledge you will not need a couple years from now. You can NEVER have too much knowledge.

The advisor is a non-binding agreement. He is there to smooze you and whether he gets you now or later is irrelivent. He will take a chance on a future signing, it is a risk-reward business.

If you find the "right" guy you save yourself time down the road looking for one. If he is not Mr Right, you will have a better feel for them when you do need one.

I think there are many advisors out there that know their stuff and would be more than willing to take you along on the ride.

#1- Be honest let him know that you are most likely school bound and doing some advisor window shopping.

#2- Be honest and tell him that you are hear to understand the game and it to his benifet to to show you a quality product as you never know where the relationship may end up.

#3- This potentionally may be the most important contact your son will ever have. Why in the world would you bypass a "no cost" opportunity.

Advisors/Agents many time fall in the same catagories as some sleezy lawyers the important thing is that he works for you and you always have to keep that in mind. If you can keep that in mind I think that it could be a very positive opportunity.

Infield dad, TPM and RZ1 great posts, I will add that you should take these questions and find your own answers. I found that the more informed I was, the more beneficial my relationship with an advisor was. This is a negotiation. I have found that the more information you have the better you can deal from a position of strength. Be willing to listen and learn. Don't rely on a stranger to inform you about one of the most important decisions in your young child's life. Advisors are a tool use them. They work for you and your son.

NJBB-having an advisor if your son intends to go to college is not a bad idea. Be honest with the advisor, most often they will want to build a relationship over time. Further they can be helpful with regard to trainers, doctors and summer leagues. They are the insiders, and it never hurts to have a source of information that most parents are not privy to.

I understood that a college bound player cannot have an agent?

Let me start by saying I have several friends who are in that business. There are others I wouldn't even talk to.

rz1,

Your point makes a lot of sense, but still beware. There are many war stories that have come out of what was perceived free advice. There have been several cases of "FORMER" agent/advisor becoming a big problem and a hurdle for players. Well placed gossip can be very dangerous and harmful. There is black balling going on behind the scenes to some very important people at times. Rumors can really hurt!

To me the #1 ingredient in a good agent/advisor is honesty! Make sure you find one you can trust. It's hard, they all sound so good, but it's worth all the extra effort in doing as much research as possible.

There are some real good ones out there!

Please understand, this is important information! There is no benefit to us in what I'm writing here. In fact, it might even p-iss a few people off who might try to black ball us. But that's OK if someone gets something out of this and can keep from getting hurt.

Oh, one more thing

If your looking for one of the truly honest agent/advisors... Make sure you are completely honest with them!

quote:

Advisors/Agents many time fall in the same catagories as some sleezy lawyers the important thing is that he works for you and you always have to keep that in mind.

rz1, since I am one of those "lawyers" / / / / / , but hopefully not the type referred to, I can vouch for the difficulty for a lay person to tell which is which. I honestly don't think anyone benefits from the "sleazy" type of "assistance" except the one "providing" the assistance. This truly is a buyer beware industry.
I watched a program a few weeks back about an agent that the NFLPA endorsed to its members and how that person became rich while apparently misusing the funds of his clients. If the NFLPA cannot screen, it is even harder for any one of us.
Having pursued trying to find an agent for my son, I can also vouch that they aren't interested unless there is something in it for them . I understand that and know it is "business."
As a result, I am a lot more studied on professional baseball than I ever imagined. The more I research, the more I realize how much there is to know to be a good, informed advisor or agent. If a high school senior and his family are trying to get enough information to determine whether college or professional baseball is the right choice at that point, there is a lot of information to gather. If the player/family already knows which way they are headed, I think what you gain from pursing the other option is the leverage with either the college or professional teams interested.
A relatively concise "how to do it" seems like it should exist... and doesn't. Something that folks like us could use to know the questions to ask and the best/most accurate answers would certainly be useful and have a very broad audience.
I have a feeling there are reasons the "consumer" really has to work to find the reliable information.

So true PG!

This is potentially a life changing decision and should be treated as such. I remember before the 2003 draft, we set aside Sat mornings between 8-12 for advisor phone day. We took this time to talk to them, assess their backround, POA, talk generalities, current clients, and generally put them in the chair. While Ryan had potential he was not a well known commodity and HIS near term plans included college. The people we were talking to were from well known agencies and once they accepted the fact that Ryan wanted to go to school and was committed to his NLI the phone calls slowed down and his draft status dropped like a rock. We had no problem with that, like PG says honesty is a needed necessity. We were completely up front, and they were doing their job selling their product. In the end they had a potential client down the road and we learned the ins and outs of advisor relationships, and what to look for when it was needed. Win/Win for all concerned.

quote:

rz1, since I am one of those "lawyers" angel/ toilet/ angryrazz/ read/ rude/ crazy , but hopefully not the type referred to,

Bill, I'd let you know

There are some folks "in it for the kids". I know of a few of them, but my list is short. PGStaff is there though.