The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has requested a federal court to confirm an arbitrator’s decision to deny an attempt by a baseball agent at Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports firm to block his decertification by the union. The MLBPA filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, asking a judge to issue an order confirming the decision made by arbitrator Michael Gottesman. The union had disciplined the three individuals – Arroyo, Assad, and Miranda – on April 10th with a $400,000 fine for misconduct. Arroyo, a certified union agent, represented New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and infielder Ronny Mauricio. Assad and Miranda had applied for certification. The MLBPA alleged that the individuals had violated union regulations by providing inducements, using unlawful recruiters, and failing to cooperate with investigations. As a result, the union revoked Arroyo’s certification and denied certification to Assad and Miranda. The union agreed to allow Gottesman to hear the application for a temporary restraining order. Despite being represented by lawyer Jeffrey Kessler, the union did not file a copy of Gottesman’s decision with its complaint, as reported by ESPN. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, is a renowned artist and the founder of Rimas Sports, launched in April 2023. Rimas Sports has not yet responded to a request for comment.
MLB Players’ Union Seeks Court Confirmation of Agent Decertification
