Podcast Summary: The Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford

Episode: The Most Dangerous Part of the Agent Business
Date: November 17, 2025
Host: Matt Hannaford

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, host and veteran MLB agent Matt Hannaford provides a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most perilous and rarely discussed aspects of the agent business: the lack of transparency and moral accountability beneath the surface of player representation. Using a real-life story from the tense 2020 COVID-19 negotiations, Hannaford exposes how an agent’s incentives and loyalties can undermine the very players they’re supposed to serve. This episode is a warning and a call to action for players and their families to look past surface-level appearances and demand genuine integrity in their representation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Iceberg Analogy: What You Don’t See (01:00)

• Surface vs. Subsurface: Matt compares the agent industry to an iceberg. The visible part represents polished services and good deals, but the bulk—hidden from view—are agents' internal motives, incentives, and loyalties.
• Danger Lurks Below: Most families focus on visible achievements rather than scrutinizing the unseen behaviors and priorities that actually define whether an agent is trustworthy.

“It’s what’s beneath the surface, the part you don’t have the luxury of seeing, that actually should raise concern... That’s where trust is tested, and too often, that’s where it’s lost.”
— Matt Hannaford (01:48)

2. The COVID Negotiation Scandal (03:06)

The Incident:

• Backdrop: During the uncertainty of COVID-19 (March 2020), MLB and the players' association were locked in high-stakes negotiations over compensation and gameplay.
• Agent Betrayal: A certified agent, deeply embedded in prominent agencies and representing high-profile clients, acted as an informant for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and senior league officials.
• Evidence: The agent shared sensitive union information, strategized against players’ interests, and even recommended league-friendly media leaks.

“According to a recent decision by the MLBPA... this agent reportedly acted as an informant for the commissioner of Major League Baseball and his most senior officials.”
— Matt Hannaford (04:33)

• Damning Communications: Includes telling Manfred not to concede on October game scheduling, expressing frustration (“F the players”) in texts, and advising officials to let the union head “hang himself.”
• Direct Quote:

“He texted 'F the players.' And he emphasized the need to instead direct their anger towards union leadership. He put in a text, ‘let Tony hang himself.’”
— Matt Hannaford (06:08)

The Fallout:

• Union Response: Extensive evidence (including email and message records) presented in disciplinary proceedings.
• Agent’s Defense: The agent avoided direct accountability, agreeing to step back temporarily while presenting himself as a victim through legal counsel.

“He voluntarily agreed to a resolution that permits him to continue to provide certain services... all the while taking a step back from player contracts for a period of time.”
— Matt Hannaford (08:00)

3. The Broader Issue: Agent Integrity (09:24)

• Not an Isolated Incident: Matt stresses that while this story is unusually public, such breaches of trust are not rare in the industry.
• Why Integrity Matters Most: Drawing from a previous episode, Matt reiterates that the defining trait of a quality agent is moral integrity—not just experience, connections, or reputation.
• Transparency is Key: Big agencies and polished presentations often mask self-serving priorities that can seriously harm players.

“It’s easy for parents and players... to assume, ‘Oh, this person’s with a big firm, they must be trustworthy.’ But what this story reminds us is visibility isn’t virtue.”
— Matt Hannaford (11:34)

4. Protecting Players and Families (12:12)

• Call to Action: Families should dig deeper, ask probing questions, and not be mesmerized by glamour or fame. The true test: Will this agent put my son’s interests first, especially when no one is watching?
• Redefining Success: Measure agents not by their deals or celebrity clients, but by their unwavering commitment to the player's future and well-being.

“A good agent doesn’t just negotiate contracts. A good agent safeguards trust... not once, but every time. Even when nobody’s watching.”
— Matt Hannaford (13:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On What Matters Most:

  “Without [moral integrity], nothing else matters. You can be sharp, you can be connected... But if you’re willing to undermine your own players...you have failed at the one thing your job exists for—to act in the best interest of your client.”
  — Matt Hannaford (10:48)

• A Closing Signal:

  “This isn’t just a scandal. This is a signal to you... a reminder that not every agent is built for this kind of responsibility... Do I trust this person with my son’s future even when I am not in the room?”
  — Matt Hannaford (12:52)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:12 – Episode Introduction and Iceberg Analogy Introduced
• 03:06 – Setting the Stage: COVID Negotiations & Agent Betrayal
• 06:08 – Text Quotes and Explicit Betrayal of Players’ Interests
• 08:00 – How the Agent Responded to Discipline
• 09:24 – The Real Problem: Lack of Moral Accountability in Agents
• 11:34 – Visibility vs. Virtue and the Illusion of Trustworthy Agencies
• 12:12 – How Families and Players Should Actually Evaluate Agents
• 13:32 – The Real Definition of a Good Agent

Final Thoughts

Matt Hannaford’s episode stands as a cautionary tale and a rallying cry for moral integrity in player representation. He urges players and families—indeed, anyone navigating the business of baseball—to be vigilant, informed, and uncompromising in their demand for agents who put their clients’ interests above all else. The “most dangerous part” of the agent business isn’t flashy mistakes but the unseen decisions and loyalties made in secret.