More bad news for the Atlanta Braves: their head coach started crying when he realized that four of his best players had chosen to terminate their high-paying contracts.

More bad news for the Atlanta Braves: Their head coach started crying when he realized that four of his best players had chosen to terminate their high-paying contracts.

The Atlanta Braves had even more bad news: their head coach began to cry when he learned that four of his greatest players had decided to opt out of their lucrative contracts.

NEW YORK A radio broadcaster has acknowledged that he made up the story that agent Casey Close never told first baseman Freddie Freeman about the most recent contract offer from the Atlanta Braves.

On June 29, Doug Gottlieb tweeted, “Casey Close never told Freddie Freeman about the Braves final offer.” Midway through July, Close and Excel Sports Management filed a lawsuit against Gottlieb in Manhattan’s U.S. District Court, claiming libelous slander.

Gottlieb apologized on Twitter on Wednesday.

“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,” Gottlieb stated. “After conducting a thorough investigation, I can state with certainty that Casey Close did indeed inform Freddie Freeman of all offers and that the information I used was unreliable.

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“I understand the harm that false information such as this can do,” Gottlieb continued, “and I have personally apologized to Casey Close.” Additionally, I removed my initial tweet. ”

Close, one of Excel’s three managing partners, is fifty-eight years old. Derek Jeter, a Hall of Famer in baseball, is among the several hundred players he has represented.

On June 29, Gottlieb also tweeted that Close had been let go by Freeman. However, the players’ organization states that Excel is still Freeman’s listed agency.

“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 stated in a press release. “He has fully repudiated his comments and admitted that he misreported the events. We see this as resolved.”

Later on Wednesday, Close and Excel submitted a notice of voluntary dismissal to the Manhattan U.S. District Court.

According to the lawsuit, 46-year-old Gottlieb is connected to Fox Sports, the Pac-12 Network, and CBS Sports.

According to Close’s lawsuit, the Braves made Freeman an offer on March 29, 2021, for a $110 million, five-year contract beginning in 2022. On August 1 and August 4, respectively, the Braves made proposals for $125 million and $135 million, each of which Freeman turned down.

According to Close, the Braves and he held their last two talks on Freeman’s contract on March 12. That same day, Close submitted two ideas to the team, but they were turned down. When Close asked the team if they had an offer he could make to Freeman, he was informed they didn’t.

The Atlanta Braves signaled on March 14 that they were done trying to hold onto Freeman when they announced they had acquired first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics. Freeman and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to a $162 million, six-year contract on March 17.

Freeman is striking.323 with 84 RBIs and 17 home runs.