Two agents, several players leave MVP to join startup Ballengee

The MVP Agency, run by controversial agent Dan Lozano, recently lost three agents who took young major leaguers with them to form a startup agency called Ballengee.

Player agents Jeff Randazzo and Scott Lonergan, who left the MVP baseball agency, have taken several young major leaguers and prospects with them to a startup agency, the Ballengee Group, which has been formed by Texas oil magnate James Ballengee.

Among the players joining Randazzo and Lonergan at the new company are major-league pitchers Brett Oberholtzer of the Astros, J.J. Hoover of the Reds, Tommy Kahnle of the Rockies and Rob Wooten of the Brewers, and outfielder L.J. Hoes of the Astros, plus several more top-ranked minor-league players, who had been previously repped by MVP. Additionally, Randazzo and Lonergan have begun signing up players since they left MVP, including the Giants pitching prospect Ray Black. The big right-hander, known to hit 102 mph, has averaged 18 strikeouts per nine innings in his first three minor-league stops.

Randazzo and Lonergan recently left MVP, the agency that represents Albert Pujols and Joey Votto. Yet another up-and-coming agent Edwin Mejia also recently left the Century City-based MVP, taking top young Cardinals players Oscar Taveras and Carlos Martinez with him. MVP's founder is the controversial longtime agent Dan Lozano, who broke off from the established Beverly Hills Sports Council a few years ago and was featured in this scandalous article.