Bad Bunny’s sports agency has been accused of committing “a series of grave violations” by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which includes offers of concert and NBA tickets as gifts to players it did not represent.
The Athletic reports MLBPA filed a memo last week in federal court in Puerto Rico, alleging the agency, Rimas Sports, offered a $200,000 interest-free loan to an unspecified player in hopes of luring them, as well as $19,500 to a different player who signed with the agency. The association found the agency had promised “improper inducements to dozens of players, providing and promising loans to players not represented by Rimas.”
According to the memo, MLBPA said that agents at Rimas offered and provided VIP tickets to Bad Bunny shows, as well as suite access at Phoenix Suns games. Rimas represents players including New York Mets’ Francisco Alvarez, Wilmer Flores of the San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics’ Jordan Diaz.
The union decertified one of the agents at Rimas Sports, William Arroyo, on April 10, and barred two of the company’s founders, Noah Assad and Honathan Miranda, from formally becoming agents. Rimas said the punishments were an improper “death penalty,” and after an arbitrator backed the union in denying Rimas’ appeal, Rimas turned to federal court. The agency said the MLBPA “scrutinized the agency in a discriminatory, biased, and pre-determined investigation, all designed to put Rimas Sports permanently out of business.”
Rimas is seeking an injunction, accusing the MLBPA for targeting the agency since April 2022. The MLBPA is arguing that the case does not belong in court, noting an injunction would be an “extraordinary remedy” based on “threadbare evidence.”
