Lutz v. Rakuten, Inc. Touches on the Global Nature of Sports and the Contract Disputes That Can Arise Between American Players and Japanese Teams

By Takao Ohashi   Zachary Lutz, a former professional baseball player, played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (the "Team") in 2014. In that season, Lutz fractured his thumb while playing for the Team. Because of the injury to his thumb, Lutz returned to his permanent residence in Pennsylvania in mid-September 2014. While Lutz was recovering from his thumb injury, he and his agents began discussions and negotiations with the Team representatives regarding a new contract for Lutz to play