The Athletic is reporting that the former agent of L.A. Dodger Freddie Freemen, Casey Close, has filed a libel lawsuit against Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb (pictured).
Close alleges that Gottlieb defamed him and his company with a tweet claiming that Close wasn’t forthcoming with Freeman, who left the Atlanta Braces in free agency, during contract negotiations last year.
According to The Athletic, the complaint says: “Gottlieb made the defamatory statements about Plaintiffs, who are private figures, in a grossly irresponsible manner without due consideration for the standards of information gathering and dissemination ordinarily followed by responsible parties. Gottlieb’s false statements have caused and continue to cause injury to Plaintiffs’ names, businesses and reputations.”
When Freeman returned to Atlanta for a series against the Dodgers this year, he became very emotional when the fans gave him big ovations. And, when he was given his world series ring, which he won with the Braves last year. Reports then began to come out that the Braves wanted to keep Freeman on the team and that, perhaps, that wasn’t communicated to him by his agent. Those reports were then followed up with additional reports that Freeman fired his agent days after his return to Atlanta.
Gottlieb’s tweet said that “Casey Close never told Freddie Freeman about the Braves final offer, that is why Freeman fired him.”
Excel Sports management responded by saying the situation was being mischaracterized and that every offer from the Braves was submitted to Freeman who wound up signing a 6-year $162 million deal with the Dodgers.
Read the entire Athletic report HERE.
