Baseball players’ union alleges employees at Bad Bunny agency offered improper inducements
Bad Bunny performs on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. (Photo by Paul R. Giunta/Invision/AP)
SAN JUAN. Puerto Rico (AP) — The Major League Baseball Players Association alleged employees at Bad Bunny’s sports representation firm provided improper inducements to dozens of players, causing the union to decertify an agent and issue a fine.
Rimas Sports, under its corporate name Diamond Sports LLC, sued the union in U.S. District Court in San Juan last month, accusing the Major League Baseball Players Association of violating Puerto Rico’s general tort claim and tortious interference with its contracts to represent players.
The union issued a notice of discipline to Rimas agents William Arroyo, Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda on April 10 and fined them $400,000 for misconduct. Arroyo was an agent certified by the union to represent players and represented Mets catcher Francosco Alvarez and teammate Ronny Mauricio. Arroyo was decertified and the other two told they could not apply for certification.
The notice of discipline under agent regulations was filed with the court under seal, but union legal papers filed Wednesday quoted portions in asking the court to deny Rimas’ request for a preliminary injunction.
The union said the notice “details a series of grave violations of the regulations, including providing and promising improper inducements to dozens of players, providing and promising loans to players not represented by Rimas, using uncertified individuals to perform work reserved only for player agents and failing to properly ensure Rimas’ employees compliance with the regulations.”
The union went on to claim Rimas agents had been “offering and providing gifts to players they did not represent including, but not limited to, VIP concert tickets to `Bad Bunny’ concerts and suite access to a Phoenix Suns game.” The union also said the agents violated regulations “by providing, causing to be provided, or promising to provide, money and/or other things of value to players for the purpose of inducing or encouraging players to use their services as agents.”
The union alleged Rimas agents either provided, caused to be provided or promised a $200,000 interest free loan to one player and a $19,500 gift to another.
Arbitrator Michael Gottesman has denied the agents’ request to block the players’ association, a decision the union asked a federal court in Manhattan to confirm.
Rimas declined comment, spokeswoman María de Lourdes Martínez said. The company was founded in 2021 with the goal of representing Latin players.
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