Pirates: Verbal deal reached in players' union suit over image use by team, Sheetz

A series of joint posts on social media by Sheetz and the Pittsburgh Pirates are at the center of a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday by MLB Players, which claims the posts are in violation of the rights of several players on the team.

Pirates spokesman Brian Warecki said Thursday he expects the suit may be withdrawn.

“We were surprised by this complaint as we had been engaged in active discussions on this matter,” he said in a statement. “We have since reached a verbal agreement with MLB Players Inc. and expect this complaint to be withdrawn.”

According to its website, MLB Players is the for-profit corporate subsidiary of the MLB Players Association union and manages commercial activities of the union.

The posts, dated June 21, have garnered substantially more than a million views and exploit the players’ names and images as part of an advertising campaign, the suit claims. Sheetz and the Pirates did not get a licensing agreement through the players’ union and, as a result, are prohibited from using the names, images or likenesses of three or more players in a calendar year.

“For professional athletes, the ability to control the commercial use of their names and likenesses provides an important return on substantial career investments,” the suit states. “At the same time, it enables those athletes to avoid being associated with particular commercial products or works that they do not wish to be perceived as supporting or endorsing.”

The convenience store chain struck a multiyear deal with the Pirates that allowed a Sheetz logo patch to be sewn onto the sleeve of player jerseys, according to a June 21 announcement.

The partnership includes marketing efforts such as ballpark signage and social and digital content.

“The Pirates and Sheetz have used the names and likenesses of numerous current MLB players to increase the commercial appeal of Sheetz’s stores and brand, and thus the commercial value of the sponsorship agreement to the Pirates,” the suit states.

The union said it repeatedly has demanded the posts be removed and compensation be made for violations of players’ rights. The organization is seeking an accounting of sales and profits related to the use of the players’ identities, for those profits to be turned over and an injunction against Sheetz and the Pirates.

Representatives from Sheetz declined to comment.