According to reporting by
The New York Times,
a former employee of one of the largest players' agent organizations has alleged that "the agents had helped him to cover up a star player’s use of performance-enhancing drugs and to break other union rules."
FenwayNation reported on the initial lawsuit back in February. That agency is ACES (owned by brothers
Sam and
Seth Levinson) and that player is former Yankee
Melky Cabrera.
Two years ago, MLB forward an affidavit from the former ACES employee (
Juan Carlos Nunez) to the players union. The union said it would investigate, but has yet to get back to MLB with any results of a probe. Only the union can investigate agents—as MLB itself would have an
obvious conflict of interest in such maters. In addition to the Cabrea allegations, Nunez also alleges that ACES made payments to the family of
Fernando Rodney—in an attempt to keep the pitcher as a client of the agency. The ACES agency has
denied all allegations by Nunez. Said MLB in a statement from the Commissioner's Office,
"Major League Baseball turned over the information from Mr. Nunez regarding the Levinsons’ alleged conduct to the M.L.B.P.A. because it is the union’s responsibility to regulate agents. Despite numerous requests, M.L.B. was disappointed it was not given the terms of whatever settlement that was reached between the M.L.B.P.A. and the Levinsons, and M.L.B. became aware that the Levinsons would be allowed to continue to represent players." Stay tuned, this matter could explode into a
major scandal.
