Rimas Sports, founded by recording artist Bad Bunny in April 2023, had one of its agents, William Arroyo, reportedly have his certification revoked by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Arroyo, who represented players such as Francisco Alvarez and Diego Cartaya, was under investigation for providing improper benefits to players. Some of Rimas’ baseball clients included Wilmer Flores, Marco Luciano, Santiago Espinal, and Ronny Mauricio, as well as Ezequiel Tovar who recently negotiated an $84 million extension. The agency stated that they uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity and will refrain from commenting further on the ongoing process within the MLBPA Agent Regulations.
The Athletic was the first to report that Rimas Sports was facing punishment from the MLBPA after receiving multiple complaints from other agencies to the Players Association. Evidence was presented to the MLBPA shortly after the agency’s launch, showing that players had been offered cash and gifts to switch agencies. Employees of Rimas were reported to have offered prohibited incentives to players to lure them to the new agency, going against the regulations of the MLBPA. It remains unclear if Arroyo’s clients will switch representation within Rimas or leave the agency altogether as a result of these developments.
Section 5 of the MLBPA regulations clearly states that agents are not allowed to provide any money or other valuable gifts to players or anyone associated with them to persuade them to join or remain with an agency. This situation comes as a surprise considering Rimas Sports did not exist a year ago and has quickly garnered attention within the baseball player representation industry. The agency’s actions have raised concerns and questions about the practices and ethics within the industry.
Recording artist Bad Bunny is not the first to venture into athlete representation, as rapper Jay-Z founded Roc Nation, which also represents a number of baseball clients including retired player Albert Pujols. Bad Bunny, known for his successful music career and multiple Grammy awards, made a bold move in launching Rimas Sports. The impact of the agency’s controversial actions and the revocation of one of its agents’ certification will likely have repercussions within the sports representation industry.
Overall, the situation involving Rimas Sports and the decertification of agent William Arroyo by the MLBPA highlights the challenges and ethical considerations within the athlete representation business. The need for transparency, integrity, and adherence to regulations is paramount in ensuring that players are represented fairly and ethically. As the story continues to unfold, it will be interesting to see how Rimas Sports navigates these challenges and what steps they take to address the concerns raised by the MLBPA and the broader industry.
