Federal Judge Rules Arbitration for Bad Bunny's Sports Firm Lawsuit Against MLBPA
- Federal judge stops Bad Bunny's firm lawsuit against MLB Players Association.
- The case will now be heard by an arbitrator instead.
- Legal battle between Bad Bunny's firm and baseball union put on hold.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a lawsuit filed by Bad Bunny’s sports representation firm, Rimas Sports, against the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) must be resolved through arbitration. U.S. District Judge Camille L. Vélez-Rivé issued a 23-page order on Thursday, stating that the case should not proceed in court but rather be handled by an arbitrator, as per the union's regulations. Rimas Sports, operating under the corporate name Diamond Sports LLC, initiated the lawsuit in mid-May, seeking a restraining order to continue representing its clients despite disciplinary actions taken by the MLBPA. The union had previously fined Rimas agents William Arroyo, Noah Assad, and Jonathan Miranda a total of $400,000 for misconduct, leading to Arroyo's decertification as an agent and barring the others from applying for certification. Judge Vélez-Rivé emphasized that there were no factual disputes regarding the arbitrability of the case, allowing for a swift resolution at the pre-trial stage. The judge noted that the regulations empower the arbitrator to determine jurisdiction and the validity of the arbitration agreement. An appeal by Arroyo is set to be heard by Arbitrator Ruth M. Moscovitch. As of now, there has been no response from either the MLBPA or Rimas Sports regarding the judge's ruling.