Lawsuit from Freddie Freeman’s former agent alleges death threats from Braves fans

Freddie Freeman’s former agent, Casey Close, alleged that he got death threats from Braves fans over a false report from Doug Gottlieb. 

Close is suing Gottlieb for libel, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Gottlieb has yet to take down the original report from a few months back.

Gottlieb reported that Close and his agency misled Freddie Freeman during free agency, causing him to leave the Atlanta Braves. ‘Misled’, as termed by Gottlieb, means that Close reportedly did not give Freeman all the information about the offers on the table.

This all came to light during Freeman’s return to Atlanta last month. Freeman was obviously distressed, and had convoluted feelings about leaving the Braves for the Dodgers in the first place. After the series, the star first baseman dropped Close as his agent.

Casey Close sues Doug Gottlieb for libel, alleges death threats from Braves fans

A statement released by Close and his lawyers take aim at Gottlieb’s integrity and the results of his reporting:

“Doug Gottlieb’s statement — Casey Close, a respected member of the sports agent community for over 30 years, did not communicate a contract offer to a client — is not only wholly false, but also is an attack on the character of Mr. Close and his highly reputable agency, Excel Sports Management. Such reckless misconduct by Mr. Gottlieb will not be tolerated.”

Close also says that the report has led to death threats from Braves fans, as Gottlieb led them to believe the agent is the reason Freeman left the team in the first place.

Close reportedly informed Gottlieb of the alleged error in his reporting, but the FOX radio personality failed to take down the report, thus leading to the lawsuit.

Libel is the legal term for written defamation. It remains to be seen whether the lawsuit will reach the court, or if Gottlieb will issue a formal retraction.