An attorney for Brewers P Francisco Rodriguez filed suit today against the attorney for the MLBer’s former agency, Wasserman Media Group. The lawsuit, filed by Rick Johnson in Cleveland, alleges that Bert Deixler, acting as an attorney for WMG and Rodriguez's former agents Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem, did not act in good faith when he made an offer to settle with K-Rod for at least $1M and then failed to make an offer during mediation. The lawsuit claims that Deixler convinced them to enter into a mediation agreement by, among other things, stating in an e-mail, "So that you have a proper expectation our proposal to you will be a 7 figure one." The lawsuit states that during mediation in N.Y. on Feb. 14, Deixler failed to make an offer. The suit alleges "failing to deal fairly and making materially false representations," among other things. The lawsuit asks for compensatory damages in excess of $25,000, as well as any other relief permitted by law. Deixler called the lawsuit "a frivolous claim that is worthy of no further comment."
The meditation was meant to settle any legal claims Rodriguez may have with WMG or his former agents over being traded from the Mets to the Brewers last summer. Rodriguez alleges that the Brewers were one of 10 teams that were on a no-trade list, which was never filed by Kinzer. In addition to the mediation, Wasserman has asked Rodriguez for unpaid fees in a confidential arbitration that is being overseen by the MLBPA. The lawsuit alleges Rodriguez was current with his fee payments at the time he fired WMG and up until he served notice on them for legal and sports malpractice on Sept. 30, 2011. The lawsuit also alleges that Rodriguez did not know that WMG had not filed the no-trade list "until he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in mid-July of 2011."
