NEW YORK — An arbitrator has upheld five-year bans for the top executives of Bad Bunny’s sports agency, Rimas Sports, concerning inappropriate inducements to players. Meanwhile, the suspension for the firm’s sole certified baseball agent has been reduced to three years.
The ruling was delivered on October 30 by arbitrator Ruth M. Moscovitch and became public on Tuesday when a petition was filed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to affirm the 80-page decision in Manhattan’s New York Supreme Court.
On April 10, the union moved to discipline the agency by revoking the certification of agent William Arroyo and denying certification to Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda. This action was prompted by revelations about a $200,000 interest-free loan and a $19,500 gift, which ultimately led to the three being barred from reapplying for certification for five years, along with restrictions preventing certified agents from working with any associates of these three individuals. Following this, the executives sought to contest the ruling, leading to Moscovitch being appointed as the arbitrator on June 17.
In her ruling, Moscovitch referenced clear evidence from the MLBPA regarding misconduct, which involved employing non-certified staff to recruit and negotiate with players. Additionally, they were found to have offered various forms of value—including concert tickets and cash—to non-client players, facilitating loans without the required prior approval or reporting.
Moscovitch stated, “I find MLBPA has met its burden to prove the alleged violations of regulations with substantial evidence on the record as a whole.” She emphasized the severity of the breaches, pointing out that MLBPA executive director Anthony Clark had never encountered such a high number of varied infractions over an extended timeframe.
A spokesperson for Rimas Sports, María de Lourdes Martínez, indicated she was looking into a potential response on behalf of the company regarding the recent ruling. However, Arroyo did not immediately reply to requests for comments sent via text.
Moscovitch conducted multiple hearings—four in person from September 30 to October 7 and three virtually from October 10 to 16. She remarked that while such gifts are commonplace in the entertainment sector, the MLBPA regulations strictly forbid agents and agencies from providing them to individuals who are not their clients.
Notably, Arroyo had represented well-known players like Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and teammate Ronny Mauricio. Moscovitch acknowledged that while Arroyo did breach the rules by failing to oversee unlicensed personnel recruiting players, the circumstances stemmed from his employers’ practices. “The regulations hold him vicariously liable for the actions of uncertified personnel at the agency. The reality is that he was put in an impossible position,” she explained, highlighting that despite being assigned supervisory responsibilities, Arroyo did not have true authority over those unlicensed individuals.