But it was meant to be a smooth gamble. Hiding several details from the community, the arbitrator’s decision of a $25 million wager was supposed to help make money. But in the end, it led to a legal dispute involving the baseball agent sector.

WME Sports, a division of Endeavor (the owner of WWE and UFC), made some serious errors that were perceived as an attempt to undermine the entire baseball representation industry. The eye-popping deal reportedly wanted to draw in MLB agents who would be free to break their contracts and leave their employers.

As reported by The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, “In a previously unreported decision, arbitrator Michael Gottesman ruled that agents Jim Murray and Michael Stival flagrantly breached their contracts when they defected to the upstart WME from Close’s firm, Excel Sports Management.” Well, in an attempt to expand its baseball agent business, WME Sports offered massive amounts to get the top two agents, including Michael Stival and Jim Murray, from Casey Close’s company. The one who represented Derek Jeter. 

What made things worse? Anthony Volpe, Adam Ottavino, and Ian Happ left for WME Sports along with other players, leaving for other agencies. And as per the arbitrator, this incident is a major blow to baseball, as it caused a “reputational loss” for Excel Sports Management.

Evan Drellich further wrote, “The gravity of the matter was reflected in the punishment. For the first time ever in a baseball-agent dispute, the arbitrator awarded punitive damages, ordering WME to pay Excel $4 million.” Plus, they owe 90% of the commissions obtained from the players’ salaries to Excel. And let’s not forget the $6 million attorney fees for the case.

Of course, there was turmoil around the MLB, too. Because Excel-rivals just grabbed on the opportunity and tried to pursue players. “I just know there’s a ton of drama and s— at Excel and would hate for you to be a victim of that. You deserve nothing but the best.” Of course, rivals will play around in the game! 

There were “eleven days of hearings, hundreds of exhibits, and 19 lawyers” when it ended up in front of the arbitrator, as ruled by MLBPA’s agent regulations. And as per Excel’s statements, tens of millions were spent around these proceedings. 

Financial damage. Reputational damage. And whatnot! One Excel agent even commented on Murray’s presence to be a “decade of disaster” for Excel.

Not to deny, even as pointed out by several rival agents, this Excel debacle might have left WME Sports’ baseball aspirations in a complete blitz.

The MLB agent trio that could’ve been a powerhouse

While it may be too early to decide whether WME will exit baseball or not, the way things are going at the moment, it’s very likely. The reason is that the arbitration ruling sent a strong message across the MLB agency world, making it clear that for any further attempts, a hefty price might be paid. However, more concerning is that the drama has affected the relationship between agents Casey Close, Michael Stival, and Jim Murray.

The trio once used to maintain a cordial relationship. After Close rose to fame as an agent, he was recruited by Excel. He didn’t take much time to hire Murray and then Stival, who has been a lawyer. Murray was already well-known for his extraordinary talent acquisition and contract negotiation skills, but Stival was particularly skilled at persuading other agencies to hire him.

Though Murray and Stival continued to be the cornerstones in the baseball division, the three were able to propel Excel to new heights of success. But the amount of fine they would have to pay Excel, and of course, with how they breached their contracts to join WME, things will probably never be the same between the trio. However, they would soon be facing off in court against one another after the incident that derailed plans to grow the baseball agent industry.

In fact, Gottesman later commented, after the rulings, “Murray and Stival are so talented that it is likely they will build an enormously profitable enterprise.” 

So, one thing is for sure: More drama is yet to unfold – this time not on the field or involving players, but the agents…