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05/16 15:55 CDT Bad Bunny sports agency sues baseball players' union over ban,
announces Ronald Acua Jr. as client
Bad Bunny sports agency sues baseball players' union over ban, announces Ronald
Acua Jr. as client
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Bad Bunny's sports representation firm sued the baseball
players' association Thursday, asking for a restraining order against the union
that would allow it to keep working with the company's clients --- a roster it
says now includes NL MVP Ronald Acua Jr.
Rimas Sports, under its corporate name Diamond Sports LLC, sued in U.S.
District Court in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 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 suit claimed the union's actions blocked it from taking on Acua as a
client and negotiating a long-term contract for New York Mets catcher Francisco
Alvarez. Rimas announced later Thursday it had signed a representation
agreement with Acua, but the union said the Atlanta star did not have a listed
agent. Rimas would not need certification to negotiate a player's marketing
agreements.
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
Alvarez and teammate Ronny Mauricio. Arroyo was decertified and the other two
told they could not apply for certification.
Arbitrator Michael Gottesman denied the agents' request to block the players'
association, a decision the union asked a federal court in Manhattan to confirm.
Rimas was founded in 2021 with the goal of representing Latin players and said
it currently has 68 clients, including 14 major leaguers. Rimas said the union
had prevented it from representing players with agents who had not been
disciplined.
"For nearly two years, the MLBPA scrutinized the agency in a discriminatory,
biased and pre-determined investigation, all designed to put Rimas Sports
permanently out of business," Rimas said in its complaint. "From late April
2022 through February 2024, the MLBPA worked to eliminate Rimas Sports from the
sports agency market, intentionally preventing certified agents from working
with Rimas Sports in any capacity."
The company said the union banned "MLBPA certified agents from working for or
associating themselves with Mr. Arroyo, Mr. Miranda and Mr. Assad or any entity
owned by or affiliated with Mr. Arroyo, Mr. Miranda and Mr. Assad including,
but not limited to, Rimas Sports, Diamond Sports LLC, and Rimas Entertainment
LLC."
MLB told teams on April 28 that as a result of Rimas' decertification, clubs
should not to speak with Rimas about contracts and should contact players
directly, according to a document submitted with the lawsuit.
Rimas said the union told Michael Velazquez, whom the company was considering
for employment, that his certification would be suspended if he worked for or
associated with Rimas or the banned employees. Velazquez then disassociated
with Rimas, the company said.
Rimas claimed the union's actions were beyond scope of its authority to
regulate agents under the National Labor Relations Act and the union's agent
regulations. Rimas asked for a temporary restraining order and preliminary
injunction against the union.
The MLBPA declined comment, spokeswoman Silvia Alvarez said.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
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