Casey's not at bat for MLB

Manfred says the embattled Wasserman won't affect his decision to have players at LA28

- BY BILL SHAIKIN

JOHN RAOUX Associated Press

COMMISSIONER Rob Manfred distanced MLB from LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman, saying "our dealings are not with Casey."

PALM BEACH, Fla. - As Major League Baseball closes in on an agreement for its players to participate in the 2028 Olympics, commissioner Rob Manfred said the controversy surrounding LA28 chief Casey Wasserman would not impact the league's final decision.

"Our dealings are not with Casey," Manfred said Thursday at the MLB owners' meetings. "Our dealings are with the institution of the Olympics."

On Wednesday, amid a stream of artists dumping Wasserman's talent agency and a growing list of civic leaders calling on him to resign, the executive committee of the LA28 board issued a statement backing Wasserman.

In recently released emails, Wasserman was linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. The board retained a law firm to investigate, the statement said, and the review did not uncover any behavior beyond what was already known: a "single interaction with Epstein" on a plane flight for a humanitarian mission and raunchy emails with Maxwell, both two decades ago, before the "deplorable crimes" of both became public.

"Based on these facts, as well as the strong leadership he has exhibited over the past ten years, Mr. Wasserman should continue to lead LA28 and deliver a safe and successful Games," the committee statement said.

Epstein died by suicide after his indictment on sex trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. Manfred declined to say whether he was concerned that an association with Wasserman could be detrimental for baseball.

"I'm going to pass on that one," Manfred said. "People much closer to that situation are better to opine on that."