Johan Rojas reportedly filed grievance against former agent over financial misconduct

Yasser Mendez, the former agent of Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas, is under investigation by the Major League Baseball Players Association for financial misconduct, according to The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli. 

Rojas reportedly filed a grievance with the MLBPA against Mendez in August of 2024, alleging that the agent solicited investments from Rojas for a baseball academy Mendez owns. 

Rojas, according to The Athletic, was convinced “to take out two advances against future big league earnings totaling $875,000.” The outfielder was also then “persuaded” to invest $450,000 in Mendez’s Venezuelan baseball academy 4Pro. The transactions occurred in 2019 and 2022, when Rojas was in the minor leagues. 

Mendez, an employee of Rep 1 Baseball at the time, was terminated by Klutch Sports Group, the company that acquired Rep 1, in 2024. Rojas switched agencies in 2023. Mendez is still listed as an MLBPA certified agent, according to Ghiroli. 

Rojas alleges in the grievance that Mendez told him that a portion of the funds invested in the baseball academy would ease Rojas’ tax burden, but that Mendez “underpaid” Rojas’ taxes in 2020 and did not pay them at all in 2022. 

Rojas is not the only former client of Mendez believed to have been targeted by the agent for investments. New York Yankees infielder Oswald Peraza is believed to have invested even more money in 4Pro than Rojas.

The news comes just a few weeks after San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. filed a lawsuit against Big League Advance, a company founded by former Phillies reliever Michael Schwimer that gives cash to young developing players in exchange for a percentage of future major league earnings. Companies like Big League Advance typically target young Latin American players for their investments.

Tatis owes BLA 10% of his pre-tax earnings in the majors after the company gave him $2 million when he was a prospect in the minors. Rojas, according to The Athletic, also has to pay a portion of his pre-tax income in the big leagues to BLA after receiving cash upfront when he was a prospect.