MLBPA Accuses Bad Bunny's Agency Of Offering $200K Loans, Concert Tickets And More To Attract Clients

The sports agency co-founded by pop star Bad Bunny has committed "a series of grave violations" in dealings with baseball players, according to the Major League Baseball Players Association. 

The world-famous Puerto Rican rapper and singer launched Rimas Entertainment — a sports management agency — in April 2023. And just a year later, his main baseball agent, William Arroyo, had his MLBPA certification revoked. That's after a union investigation into complaints that Rimas offered improper benefits to players. In other words, bribing them to sign with the agency.

And now, we have the details.

GRAMMY-winning artist Bad Buny is an avid baseball fan. He started Rimas in partnership with executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda.

(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

According to filings presented to a federal judge in Puerto Rico this week, Rimas allegedly offered an unnamed player a $200,000 interest-free loan, a suite at a Phoenix Suns game and VIP tickets to Bad Bunny shows in an attempt to entice the athlete to sign with the agency. Rimas also reportedly provided a $19,500 gift to another player who signed with the organization, according to The Athletic.

"At Rimas Sports, we uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity of our industry," the company said in a statement in April. "Out of respect for an ongoing process within the context of the MLBPA Agent Regulations, we will refrain from making any comments at this time. We remain committed to continue serving our clients with excellence."

From an outsider's perspective, $200,000 in cash and concert tickets might seem like chump change to an MLB player. But it's still against the rules. Section 5 of the MLBPA's agent regulations explicitly states that no agent "shall provide, cause to provide or promise to provide any money or any other thing of value to any player, or any person related to or associated with such player" in order to persuade the athlete to join or remain with an agency.

Rimas' best-known client is Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., who signed with the agency in May. The agency has also represented New York Mets’ Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio, Cincinnati Reds’ Santiago Espinal, Colorado Rockies’ Yonathan Daza, San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores, Oakland Athletics’ Jordan Diaz and Baltimore Orioles’ Livan Soto.