Rimas Sports, the sports agency co-founded by pop star Bad Bunny, committed “a series of grave violations” in its dealings with baseball players, according to the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). The MLBPA detailed its accusations to a federal judge in Puerto Rico this week, as reported by The Athletic’s Evan Drellich.
Rimas was accused of several improper actions, including offering a $200,000 interest-free loan to a player they were attempting to recruit and giving a $19,500 gift to another player who signed with them. Other incentives mentioned in a memo filed by the MLBPA included providing non-clients with VIP tickets to Bad Bunny concerts and access to a luxury suite at a Phoenix Suns game.
In April, the MLBPA revoked the certification of Rimas agent William Arroyo after investigating complaints from other agents about improper benefits being given to players not represented by Rimas. Additionally, two of Rimas’ co-founders, Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda, were barred from officially becoming agents who could represent MLBPA members.
Rimas’ most notable client is Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., who reportedly signed with the agency in May. Other players represented by Rimas include Wilmer Flores of the San Francisco Giants, Francisco Alvarez of the New York Mets, and Ronny Mauricio and Santiago Espinal of the Cincinnati Reds.
From an outsider’s perspective, the inducements offered by Rimas may not seem extreme compared to what other sports agencies might do to attract clients. However, there are formal protocols for recruiting and signing clients that Rimas allegedly did not follow. The argument, supported by an arbitrator, suggests that Rimas exceeded the permissible limits for competing for players, potentially using funds from Bad Bunny, the best-selling Latin artist in U.S. history.
In response, Rimas argued in federal court that its practices were being unfairly scrutinized in what they described as a “discriminatory, biased, and pre-determined investigation” aimed at putting the agency out of business. Rimas contends that decertifying Arroyo and barring Assad and Miranda from becoming agents is equivalent to a “death penalty” for the company.
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