Earlier this summer, Fox Sports Radio host Doug Gottlieb said Casey Close, the former agent for MLB star Freddie Freeman while he negotiated a new contract last fall, didn’t alert Freeman to a final offer from the Atlanta Braves to ensure Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a bigger deal. On Wednesday, Gottlieb recanted those statements.
In a tweet, Gottlieb said “On June 29, I commented on alleged circumstances surrounding Freddie Freeman’s negotiations with the Atlanta Braves and his relationship with his former agent Casey Close. While I always strive to report accurate information, I prematurely reported on these events and simply got it wrong.
“Upon further vetting of my sources, a review of the lawsuit filed against me in this matter, and a direct conversation with Casey himself, I have learned that the conduct I alleged did not occur and that there is no credible basis for stating that it did. My ultimate investigation into this matter confirms that Case Close did, in fact, communicate all offers to Freddie Freeman and the sources I relied on were incorrect, in no uncertain terms. I appreciate the damage that misinformation like this can cause and have been in touch with Casey Close to apologize directly. I have also deleted my original tweet.”
Gottlieb’s original tweet said “Casey Close never told Freddie Freeman about the Braves final offer, that is why Freeman fired him. He found out in Atlanta this weekend. It isn’t that rare to have happen in MLB, but it happened – Close knew Freddie would have taken the ATL deal”.
On July 14th, ESPN MLB reporter Jeff Passan confirmed Close had filed a defamation lawsuit against Gottlieb.
“From the onset, we were clear that Mr. Gottlieb’s tweet was wholly inaccurate and that we would seek legal remedies to set the record straight,” Close said Wednesday. “He has retracted his statement in its entirety and acknowledged that he got the story wrong. We consider this matter closed.”
