UTA Moves: Klutch Sports Group Buys Rep 1 Baseball Agency; Jay Sures Named Board Chair of Triad National Security

variety.com:

William Earl Klutch Sports Group has acquired sports agency Rep 1 Baseball as UTA‘s sports partner looks to expand beyond its stronghold in basketball and football representation.

The deal calls for Rep 1 CEO Chris Koras to serve as head of Klutch Baseball. Rep 1 was founded in 2015 and represents such players as Rafael Devers, Devin Williams, Andrés Giménez, Gabriel Moreno, Starling Marte, Freddy Peralta and Leody Tavares. “We believe in the transformative power of sports, and this move into baseball aligns perfectly with our commitment to excellence, innovation, and best-in-class representation for the world’s most talented athletes,” said Rich Paul, founder of Klutch Sports and co-head of UTA Sports. “The game of baseball has a special place in the hearts of sports fans around the world, and we’re thrilled to extend Klutch’s reach into this sport and to welcome Chris, the team, and their clients to Klutch.” Becoming more active in a wider swath of the sports eco-system is an “important part of UTA’s long-term strategy, with Klutch and its growing representation business at the heart of our vision,” added Andrew Thau, UTA Sports co-head and chief operating officer of UTA. “The formation of Klutch Baseball adds another exciting dimension to the range of talent we represent and the expanding capabilities we can offer them.” Koras’ leadership team from Rep 1 will make the transition with him to Klutch Baseball.

Peter Greenberg will serve as president of Baseball, Nelson Montes de Oca as VP of Latin America and Nate Heisler as VP of North America. “Meaningful progress in baseball representation is long overdue.