Suit: Bad Bunny’s agency hit with ‘death penalty’
A year prior to the conclusion of the MLBPA’s investigation and ruling, entertainment lawyers Oswaldo Rossi, John Baldivia, and Jimmy Barnes attempted to obtain union certification. As stated in the complaint, a letter from an MLBPA attorney informed them that their certification would be contingent on their promise to not work with or for Rimas Sports, or represent their clients. This was an unprecedented requirement that is not outlined in the MLBPA Regulations.
The federal lawsuit filed on Thursday by Rimas Sports, founded by musician Bad Bunny, alleges that the Major League Baseball Players Association has unfairly targeted and punished their agency with severe consequences due to a biased and predetermined investigation into their business methods.
According to the complaint, the MLBPA’s action of preventing any agents certified by them from working with Rimas Sports and Rimas Entertainment has effectively destroyed Rimas Sports as an agency. Additionally, it has prohibited Rimas Entertainment, which is not involved in sports agency and has never had a certified agent, from signing clients who may want to secure branding, sponsorship, or endorsement deals. These limitations go beyond the MLBPA’s jurisdiction to regulate its agents.
The complaint stated that the MLBPA was aware, or should have been aware, that their actions have resulted in and will continue to result in significant harm to the Rimas Companies. The intention of the MLBPA was to remove the Rimas Companies from being involved in the sports agency market for players in MLB and MiLB.
In the complaint, Rimas mentioned not being able to reengage in talks to extend the contract for Francisco Álvarez, a catcher for the New York Mets, and also losing out on the chance to represent reigning National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. due to imposed penalties. The baseball card company Topps, currently owned by Fanatics with an investment from the MLBPA, has informed Rimas Sports that they are unable to discuss potential marketing, endorsement, and sponsorship opportunities for Acuña due to the MLBPA’s restrictions.
Earlier, Rimas attempted to get the sanctions against Arroyo, Assad, and Miranda lifted through an arbitrator, but their request was rejected. The American Arbitration Association will now review their appeal for individual penalties, as they had submitted it before the May 10 deadline.
On April 10th, the MLB Players Association revoked the certification of Rimas’ agent William Arroyo and barred Rimas executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda from seeking certification, alleging that the agency had offered players unauthorized benefits. The lawsuit also claims that Rimas’ other MLBPA-certified agent, Michael Velasquez, was threatened with decertification and ultimately resigned from the firm.
The overall impact on Rimas, as stated in the complaint, is extensive. Rimas asserts that the penalties have resulted in “unfixable damage” to the company, referencing the union’s exclusion of authorized agents from collaborating with Rimas, a communication from MLB to teams advising them not to engage with Rimas employees, and the reluctance of outside parties to conduct business with the company.
The legal case does not mention the specifics of the disciplinary measures taken by the MLBPA against Rimas staff, but implies that the union and others felt that these non-Puerto Rican individuals were causing too much disruption to the established structure of baseball agency, which was not tolerated by the MLBPA and Rimas Sports’ rivals.
Rimas filed a 27-page complaint in U.S. District Court in Puerto Rico, seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction against the union’s penalties. The company claimed that these penalties were intended to force them out of business permanently. The complaint stated that the MLBPA had exceeded its authority under the National Labor Relations Act by imposing sanctions on individuals that affected the entire company. Despite previous attempts from Rimas employees to obtain a temporary restraining order, they were denied, and the complaint argues that the MLBPA’s actions are overstepping and impacting the entire company.
In 2021, Rimas Sports was founded by Assad, Miranda, and Bad Bunny to serve players from Latin America. The agency quickly gained clients such as Álvarez, Ronny Mauricio, and Ezequiel Tovar, who received a seven-year, .5 million contract extension negotiated by the agency. Other agents accused Rimas of offering payments to players in exchange for their representation, which goes against MLBPA rules. Though Assad and Miranda applied for MLBPA certification, Bad Bunny, who is also known as Benito Martínez Ocasio, is described as a partially inactive investor in the company.Jeff Passan, ESPN
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Family Autumn Market Registration Now Open at Seepark Zülpich: Showcasing Artisans, Homemade Goods, and Creative Ideas
Registrations for exhibitors at the family autumn market on September 7th and 8th in Seepark Zülpich have begun. Zülpich (hs). The Seepark is particularly looking for artisans, homemade goods and…
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