Yankees’ top pitching prospect reacts to ex-agent’s ‘backstabber’ allegation

Yankees top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield reacts to his ex-agent David Sloan calling him a backstabber and alleging that he owes him thousands of dollars.

MOOSAIC, Pa. — Justus Sheffield shrugged his shoulders.

The Yankees‘ top pitching prospect’s former agent, David Sloan, had ripped him via the media for a couple days, alleging that Sheffield stiffed him on $33,000.

Sheffield’s response?

“That was in 2014,” he said in the clubhouse of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders on Tuesday afternoon. “No comment at all. People talk. It is what is.”

All you must know about Yankees’ top pick

How does Sheffield feel about Sloan talking smack all these years later?

“Honestly,” Sheffield said, “it is what it is. It was, what, four years ago? I have nothing else to say about that.”

Sloan negotiated a $1.6 million signing bonus on behalf of Sheffield with the Cleveland Indians after they selected him 31st overall in the 2014 draft out of high school.

The 66-year-old Sloan has been an agent since 1973. He represented about 125 big-leaguers, including Carlos Delgado, who made about $147 million off baseball.

Sloan has alleged that Sheffield agreed to pay Sloan an approximately 5-percent commission, or about $80,000, but instead only gave him 3 percent, or $48,000.

The deal was only verbal, Sloan told USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale.

From USA Today: 

That led to Sloane filing a breach of contract lawsuit against Sheffield, which led to the state of Tennessee filing four complaints against Sloane and a $50,740 civil penalty, which led to Sloane informing Vanderbilt University that his older brother, Jordan Sheffield, violated NCAA bylaws by having another agent represent him during his collegiate career, which led to Tennessee reducing the civil penalty to $10,740, which led to Sloane filing another appeal.

MLB.com and Baseball America each rank Sheffield, a 22-year-old lefty, the Yankees’ best pitching prospect. The Yankees acquired him, along with highly touted outfielder Clint Frazier, in a package of prospects in exchange for elite reliever Andrew Miller in 2016.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.