PITTSBURGH (AP) - Chicago Cubs utility infielder Enrique Wilson clarified his agent situation Wednesday, saying a representative of one-time agent Jeff Moorad's former firm negotiated his contract, not Moorad himself.
A day earlier, Wilson insisted Moorad worked out his deal, even though Moorad is now a general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks and can no longer represent players.
The confusion apparently arose because Wilson switched agents after spring training, signing with Legacy Sports, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based firm known as Moorad Sports Management when Moorad ran it.
A Legacy Sports spokesman said Wednesday that agent Eugene Mato now represents Wilson, a former Yankees infielder.
"He was the guy who did the work, but I think he works for (the) Jeff Moorad (agency)," Wilson said after the Cubs' 3-2 victory Wednesday in Pittsburgh.
Wilson apparently decided to change agents after being disappointed at not making the Orioles' roster out of spring training. Under terms of his contract, Wilson became a free agent when the Orioles hadn't called him up from Triple-A Ottawa by May 15, and he signed Tuesday with the Cubs.
Wilson's listed agent at the players' association is Paul Kinzer of Reich, Katz and Landis. Kinzer said Tuesday he did not negotiate the deal. Wilson's insistence that Moorad was his new agent caused confusion because major league conflict-of-interest rules bar a club executive from negotiating contract terms for another team's player.
Moorad, who is in Asia, responded to Wilson's Tuesday remarks by sending an e-mail to Diamondbacks president Rich Dozer that was made available to The Associated Press.
"I've never even met Enrique Wilson," Moorad wrote. "He is a friend of Manny (Ramirez)'s. ... He probably knows he hired Manny's agent and thinks it's me."
Asked Tuesday why he signed with the Cubs, Wilson said, "My agent talked to these guys, and I think it's a good opportunity for me. Jeff Moorad - yeah, he's still my agent right now."
Wilson, 31, played 93 games with the Yankees last season, hitting .213 with six homers and 31 RBIs in 240 at-bats. He has played in 540 career games with the Indians, Pirates and Yankees, hitting .246, spending the previous 3 1/2 seasons with the Yankees.
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