Freddie Freeman’s ex-agent Casey Close is suing Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb for libel, a Thursday legal filing revealed.
When the Dodgers first baseman left Excel Sports Management on June 27, Gottlieb tweeted that the move came after Close withheld the Braves’ final contract offer from him when he was exploring free agency negotiations. Freeman played his first 12 years in Atlanta before signing with the Dodgers in the offseason.
Close later spoke to Sports Illustrated and denied Gottlieb’s tweet, saying, “There is no truth whatsoever to what Doug Gottlieb recklessly tweeted, and I would testify to that under oath. We are currently evaluating all legal options in this matter.”
In the court documents filed on Thursday, Close claimed that Gottlieb defamed him and Excel Sports Management with his tweet. Close and Excel said the radio host made “false, disparaging and derogatory” comments “in a grossly irresponsible manner without due consideration for the standards of information gathering and dissemination ordinarily followed by responsible parties.”
Close added that he and Excel gave Gottlieb a chance to correct the statement, but the radio host never did.
“Although we gave Mr. Gottlieb an opportunity to retract his false statement, he failed to do so,” Close said. “The complaint sets the record straight as to what occurred during the negotiations with the Atlanta Braves.”
The 58-year-old agent admitted that he’s received death threats based on the “false narrative” created around this situation. Other clients, such as Yankees legend Derek Jeter, has spoken out in support of their agent.
