PITTSBURGH (AP) — On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that a verbal settlement agreement had been reached regarding a lawsuit filed by MLB Players Inc., a subsidiary of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, alleged that the Pirates’ parent company and the convenience store chain Sheetz Inc. used players’ names and images on social media without authorization.
The lawsuit, lodged on Wednesday, claimed violations of Pennsylvania law related to unauthorized use of names and likenesses, as well as common law misappropriation of identity and unjust enrichment. MLB Players Inc. sought both an injunction against the Pirates and Sheetz and monetary damages.
The dispute arose after the Pirates announced a jersey patch sponsorship deal with Sheetz on June 21. The lawsuit contended that social media posts by both the team and Sheetz improperly featured images of players including Paul Skenes, Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Nick Gonzales, Carmen Mlodzinski, and Connor Joe.
The Pirates indicated that a verbal agreement had been reached to resolve the issue, with the expectation that the lawsuit would be withdrawn. “We were surprised by this complaint as we have been engaged in active discussions on this matter,” said Brian Warecki, the Pirates’ senior vice president of communications and broadcasting. Sheetz had not yet responded to requests for comment sent to its media relations.
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