Astros' Alex Bregman Parts Ways with Klutch Sports Agent Brodie Scoffield
May 19, 2020
Houston Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman is cutting ties with Klutch Sports agent Brodie Scoffield, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
The move comes a little over a month after Klutch Sports acquired Tidal Sports and appointed Scoffield as its lead baseball agent, bringing over Bregman, New York Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman, Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Keston Hiura and Seattle Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic in the process.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network speculated that one of the reasons for the switch in agents is that LeBron James' media company, UNINTERRUPTED, is planning a documentary on Houston's sign-stealing scandal for Quibi:
Jon Heyman @JonHeymanThis may be a clue why Bregman is switching agents. Old agency Klutch’s big client LeBron James’ Uninterrupted is planning a documentary series on Astros sign stealing scandal. Others players aren’t thrilled either but Bregman was 1 Astro repped by Klutch https://t.co/SkW6Ifn976
Klutch Sports founder Rich Paul is James' agent and friend.
Granted, there may be no connection at all between Bregman switching agents and James' documentary. The timing could be purely coincidental. But the timing is, at the very least, noteworthy.
Bregman, 26, has emerged as one of baseball's biggest stars in recent years, hitting .296 with 41 homers, 112 RBI, 122 runs and a 1.015 OPS in 2019. He's finished top five in the American League MVP voting the past two seasons and won a title—however controversial given the team's sign stealing during that run—in 2017.
Major League Baseball fined the Astros $5 million, docked them first- and second-round picks the 2020 and 2021 drafts and suspended manager Jeff Luhnow and general manager A.J. Hinch for one year as a result of their investigation into the team's sign stealing (both Luhnow and Hinch were fired by Houston).
No players were punished as a result of the scandal, which rocked baseball. It was the biggest scandal since the steroid era, tarnishing the reputations of the organization and its players.
