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Music superstar Bad Bunny is under fire from the MLBPA after the association claims the rapper’s sports agency used shady tactics to lure new clients.
The MLBPA revoked the certification of Rimas Sports agent William Arroyo in April.
Rimas Sports, the agency co-founded by Bad Bunny, sued the MLBPA in a federal court in Puerto Rico, alleging discriminatory practices.
MLBPA Alleges Bad Bunny’s Agency Tried To Lure Players With Gifts And Loans
Now the players association has responded by providing what its claims is both evidence and justification for its decision.
“In federal court in Puerto Rico, the union accused the agency, Rimas Sports, of improperly offering a $200,000 interest-free loan to an unspecified player it was trying to lure, and of making a gift of $19,500 to a different player who signed with Rimas,” Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports. “The allegations were included in a memo filed by the MLBPA Wednesday, and offered the most public detail yet of the fight between the union and the agency.”
The MLBPA claims that Rimas promised “improper inducements to dozens of players, providing and promising loans to players not represented by Rimas,” and that the agency had asked people who were not certified agents to do agenting work.
Bad Bunny’s agency appealed the ruling, but arbitrator Michael Gottesman sided with the MLBPA. Which is why the case eventually ended up in federal court.
New York Mets’ catcher Francisco Alvarez and Giants’ first baseman Wilmer Flores are the biggest names Rimas has represented.
Though reports suggested Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. was going to sign with the agency in April.