Freddie's firing of his agents shows how angry he was at the free agency process. There is a time and a place for it.
According to a complaint filed in the case, Doug Gottlieb libeled Close and Excel Sports Management by saying they had not presented a contract offer to Freddie Freeman during the free agent period.
The lawsuit details Close's negotiations with the Atlanta Braves, the team with which Freeman had spent his career before signing a six-year, $162 million free agent contract with the LA Dodgers in March. According to the complaint, Gottlieb's allegation is false and has caused death threats towards Close and caused tens of millions of dollars in damages.
Gottlieb failed to withdraw his false statement despite being given an opportunity to do so. The record was set straight by the complaint.
Gottlieb and his lawyer didn't reply to messages from the sports network.
Atlanta offered a five-year, $110 million contract to the five-time All-Star, who had spent 15 years in the Braves' organization. The offer of five years and $125 million and a five-year, $135 million extension was rejected by the company.
The Braves won the World Series with the help of first baseman Freddie Freeman. The final discussions on a potential deal took place on March 12 when Close proposed two potential offers to the Braves. According to the complaint, the team rejected both of them, and after Close tried to get the Braves to give him an offer to sign with them, Close immediately communicated the final conversation to the player.
According to the complaint, Close was fired by Freeman days after he came back to Atlanta.
Close's attorneys said that Gottlieb's statement that Close did not communicate a contract offer to a client was not true. Mr. Gottlieb's conduct will not be accepted.
The standard for defamation in the US depends on whether the person is a public or private figure. Public figures are defined as people who are known in the public domain. According to the complaint, Close is a private figure because he has negotiated billions of dollars in contracts over a 30-year career as an agent.
If Gottlieb's statement was false, Close would need to prove that he was negligent. The Supreme Court defined malice as "knowledge that it was false or with reckless disregard of whether it was true or not."
Gottlieb, a former college basketball player and analyst for the sports network, didn't contact close or excel before he posted his message. The complaint said that close and excel requested a retraction from Gottlieb but he didn't do so.
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