If you haven't read my first post on this topic, take the time to do so now.
Now that you're caught up on the situation, here's what's new.
Agent Fires Back
As mentioned in the previous post, Freddie Freeman's former agent/agency had threatened to take legal action against Doug Gottlieb when Gottlieb's reports first surfaced the internet. It turns out they weren't bluffing. The lawsuit has officially been filed in US District Court.
The suit is for libel, which means "a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation". The libel in this case is referring to Gottlieb's tweet which reported that Freeman wasn't told about the Braves' final offer.
According to Casey Close & his agency Excel Sports Management: Close sent two contract proposals to the Braves which were both rejected. He then asked the Braves if they have a final offer in which he could bring to Freddie Freeman. The Braves responded in the negative to that question.
This would mean that the Braves actually never gave a final offer, rather than the defendant's reports which stated that the agent hid the final offer from Freeman.
Player/Agent Relationship
This is a very important case for the plaintiffs. When it comes to player and agent relationships, reputation is everything. If it turns out that the plaintiffs are lying, it'll be tough for them to secure clients going forward.
The suit claims that the damages will be determined during trial, but is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars. This is probably due to clients opting out and potential clients closing the door on the agency due to the defaming reports. They had no choice but to file a lawsuit in hopes to save their reputation & business.
As for the defendant, if it turns out he was lying and/or publishing false information, it could also ruin his reputation as a sports reporter. It would ruin his public trust going forward, and also portray him as an irresponsible reporter.
That's the latest in this weeks-long Freddie Freeman/Casey Close/Doug Gottlieb saga.
