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J.D. Martinez’s Ex-Representative Suing Over Agency Switch

By Connor Byrne | May 18, 2019 at 5:49pm CDT

In November 2017, at the start of what became a lucrative but drawn-out trip to free agency, slugger J.D. Martinez changed representation and hired famed agent Scott Boras. Now, 14-plus months after Martinez scored a five-year, $110MM guarantee from the Red Sox in February 2018, his former rep –  RMG Sports Group president Bob Garber – is crying foul on his ex-client’s switch. Garber is suing Merrill Lynch; Bruce Lee, one of Merrill Lynch’s Chicago-based financial advisers; and Pierce Fenner & Smith, “alleging tortious interference with contractual relations,” Scott Holland of the Cook County Record reports.

Garber had represented Martinez since 2010, the year after the Astros drafted him, but he claims in the lawsuit that Lee helped influence Martinez to hire Boras. According to Garber, he introduced Martinez to Lee, and the outfielder later hired Lee and Merrill Lynch “to provide wealth management services,” Holland writes. However, Garber alleged, “Upon learning of Boras’ impressive book of clients. Lee decided to grab an opportunity to get a foothold into the lucrative list of baseball clients represented by Scott Boars by using Martinez as his bait.”

Garber continued that in October 2017, shortly before Martinez defected to the Boras Corporation, the player engaged in phone discussions with Lee in which Lee “told Martinez to terminate his contractual relationship with RMG and Garber, telling Martinez, among other fabrications, that Bob is done, Bob is a hack and that Bob will sell him short.” As Holland writes, Garber added that Lee met with the Boras Corporation in November “to discuss referrals for his financial advising services,” indicating the two sides employed underhanded tactics that led to Boras stealing Martinez’s business from Garber.

This is somewhat of a similar situation to one in 2018 that saw Juan Carlos Nunez sue the ACES Agency, where he formerly worked as an independent contractor. As MLBTR’s Jeff Todd explained at the time, Nunez alleged that “ACES founders Sam and Seth Levinson guided and funded him in a scheme to attract clients and connect them with performance-enhancing drugs.” Nunez sought “millions” in damages, but wrongdoing on the part of ACES was never proven.

Likewise, it may be difficult to show real evidence that Lee did anything to help sway Martinez to Boras. Regardless, though, Martinez’s switch to Boras had negative financial ramifications for Garber. Had Garber kept representing Martinez, RMG Sports Group would have continued to earn a 5 percent commission on his baseball-related income. Therefore, had Martinez inked the same $110MM contract with Garber on his side, RMG would have raked in $5.5MM.

It’s anyone’s guess whether Martinez would have landed the same deal had he kept Garber in place, of course. Even though Martinez entered the market as a superstar-caliber hitter, concerns over his defense and age (30 at the time) helped lead to a lack of suitors on the open market. He and the Red Sox wound up engaged in a months-long standoff, during which it seemed like only a matter of time before he’d head to Boston. That’s exactly what happened, and the Red Sox have since reaped the rewards in the form of elite production from Martinez and a World Series championship in his first season with the club.

Going forward, it’s possible the Boras-repped Martinez will collect another major payday in the coming years. His current pact includes a pair of opt-out chances, one after this season and another at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign. But if Martinez takes advantage of that opportunity during the upcoming offseason, he’d be leaving a guaranteed $62.5MM on the table.

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Boston Red Sox J.D. Martinez Scott Boras

Minor MLB Transactions: 5/18/19
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View Comments (23)

Comments

  1. pasha2k

    3 years ago

    Oh pluuueeez, terrible distraction to the player.

    Reply
  2. bravesiowafan

    3 years ago

    Waste of $ in court

    Reply
  3. Frisco500

    3 years ago

    Time to feel Bruce Lee’s one inch punch sucka!

    Reply
  4. SFGiantsGallore

    3 years ago

    I’ve been saying it for years now. They need to make a movie based on Scott Boras. His journey from player to agent and it should be called: “Boras”. I think it would be interesting and I’m sure Hollywood could polish it up and make it a pretty solid story.

    Reply
    • dugdog83

      3 years ago

      What actor would play Boras?

      Reply
      • trident

        3 years ago

        Jason Alexander

        Reply
        • schleg

          3 years ago

          That’s who I think of too.

    • ColossusOfClout

      3 years ago

      They’ve already made a television show based on Boras and his like.. It’s called “Lucifer”.

      Reply
    • wiggysf

      3 years ago

      *”Boars”

      Reply
  5. afsooner02

    3 years ago

    Paragraph 2….”Scott Boars”. Bwhahahahaha

    Reply
  6. Ironman_4life

    3 years ago

    Thats bs. Why was my comment deleted.

    Reply
    • Ironman_4life

      3 years ago

      Entitled rich white man is used here on a daily basis

      Reply
      • walterfranciswhite

        3 years ago

        Keep crying

        Reply
        • Ironman_4life

          3 years ago

          Lol says the liberal to the tissue

      • DarkSide830

        3 years ago

        boohoo the guy has money get over it

        Reply
      • BobSacamano

        3 years ago

        You feel better now?

        Reply
        • Ironman_4life

          3 years ago

          Yeah. Thank your dishwasher for me. She was great.

      • snotrocket

        3 years ago

        You would never say that to somebody’s face.

        Reply
  7. bobbyknows35

    3 years ago

    Boras.

    Super Agent has been fired by an All star team in the last 3 weeks.

    Trust me, Bobby Knows……

    I would be looking at Robert Van Scoyoc (Dodgers Hitting Coach), close relationship to Martinez with an incentive to interfer. I heard he will be implicated soon. Oh and JD? Bobby Knows…….

    Reply
    • jdshittingcoach

      3 years ago

      Thanks for the Lamborghini Scott

      Reply
  8. Show Me Your Tatis

    3 years ago

    J.D. Martinez isn’t opting out. Period.

    Reply
    • Michael Birks

      3 years ago

      I bet Boston sweetens the pot….. add an additional year??

      Reply
  9. bjupton100

    3 years ago

    He won’t opt out if he’s smart.

    Reply

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