According to people close to agent Scott Boras, the agent provided tens of thousands of dollars in loans and payments to the families of poor Dominican prospects. This obviously raises questions about business ethics and the violation of rules set by the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to the New York Times’ Michael S. Schmidt.

“The money obligates them to the agent, gives the agent leverage, and coerces the athlete to do what the agent wants because of fear of foreclosure or other adverse consequences for the athlete or the athlete’s family,” said Mark S. Levinstein, a prominent sports lawyer.

Loans that are greater than $500 a year to a player and their families is prohibited under union rules unless the purpose is disclosed.

Boras has said that his company has “aided” players and their families in the past.

In a written statement, a spokesman for Major League Baseball said, “This is a serious issue that raises concerns about the business practices of agents who have played a prominent role in the game.”

An employee of Boras and former Major League Baseball player, Domingo Ramos, says the money was used for housing, food and other necessities.

One player, Edward Salcedo, received payments from Boras early in his professional career. Salcedo eventually signed with another agent, but during his relationship with Boras, the Salcedo family received monthly payments for more than $1000 a month from Boras’s company. Salcedo eventually signed for $1.6 million with the Atlanta Braves in February 2010.