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Chipotle may need to start charging even more for guac -- the company is paying the largest fine EVER in a food safety case stemming from more than a thousand instances of food poisoning.

The Justice Department announced Tuesday, Chipotle's been ordered to pay a whopping $25 million fine to settle criminal charges over foodborne illness outbreaks at its restaurants.

You'll recall, more than 1,100 people across the U.S. claimed they got sick from Chipotle restaurants between 2015 and 2018. The feds charged Chipotle with 2 counts of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for selling tainted food.

According to the DOJ, Chipotle admitted to more than several instances that resulted in outbreaks. For example, in December 2015 an ill employee in Boston was ordered to continue working after vomiting inside the restaurant -- a clear violation of company policy.

The feds say 2 days later, the employee returned to work and helped package a catering order for a Boston College basketball team, whose members were among customers sickened by the outbreak.

Chipotle was also accused of failing to hold food at appropriate temperatures to prevent and control the growth of foodborne pathogens.

Aside from the 8-figure fine, the company also has to be under a food safety compliance program for 3 years.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez are angling to join the movement among celebs to own a sports franchise -- like Magic, Jay-Z and Derek Jeter -- but insiders tell us it's strictly a business decision ... and we're told A-Rod has a vision for the New York Mets that will handsomely line his and his fiancee's pockets.

Sources familiar with the deal tell us ... A-Rod's weakness is also his strength -- he knows he doesn't have a background in business so he's going to leave the business part of running the team to people who know better than him. He's more of a "people manager" -- meaning his strength is inspiring players, but he's leaving the business part to people who know better than him.

We're also told A-Rod and J Lo are putting up a relatively small percentage of the cash necessary to make a deal. We're told they're looking for big investors who might put up somewhere between $25 million and $50 mil. At which point they could get financing from a bank for the balance.

As it was put to us ... the Mets have been "so mismanaged" that there is nothing but upside if he can right the organization. The danger -- we're told A-Rod has an interest in working with the players. The conventional wisdom ... Hall of Fame-level players typically screw up when they try to mess with the roster.

Our sources say it all comes down to money. There are reports the Mets are worth around $2.4 billion, but some of the financial people we've spoken with say that's way too high, and the team is worth more in the $1.5 billion range. Hedge fund manager Steve Cohen was previously in negotiations to buy the Mets in a deal valued at $2.6 billion, but that fell apart in February. Lots of people felt the offer was way over market.

As for A-Rod and J Lo, they've reportedly retained JPMorgan Chase to raise capital.

The man in charge of finding the money is JPMorgan Chase managing director Eric Menell, according to Variety.

Menell runs the company's North American media investment banking.

As we previously reported, the Wilpon family -- which currently owns the Mets -- are looking to sell in a big way.

If A-Rod and J Lo DID get the sale, it would be VERY interesting considering Alex played for the rival NY Yankees for years and Lopez brags about being from the Bronx, typically Yankees country.

One person who's NOT interested in buying the Mets -- superfan Jerry Seinfeld, who told us it's too much work!

The lack of baseball has hit the most famous bat manufacturer HARD ... with the makers of the Louisville Slugger shutting down its factory and museum.

Hillerich & Bradsby Co. discussed the decision to furlough 90% of its staff and halt production at its Kentucky facility on Monday ... saying the coronavirus and its impact has forced the changes.

"We’re not doing any advertising. We’ve cut all our expenses we can. We’re just hoping we get back to normal before we run out of cash," CEO John Hillerich told The Courier Journal.

Of course, there is no MLB right now ... as the start of the season has been delayed with no return date in sight.

According to the Journal, Hillerich & Bradsby sends about 50,000 sticks to the MLB each year ... and there's serious concern the logs used to make the bats could "spoil" before they're used.

As for the employees ... those remaining on staff have taken a 25% pay cut ... but everyone -- including the furloughed workers -- are keeping their health benefits.

Hillerich says the company is concerned about the museum's future ... saying, "We’re afraid that even if we open up, people aren’t going to want to be in crowded museums."

Derek Jeter is taking an indefinite pay cut as Marlins owner -- a move that could cost him MILLIONS -- this as the MLB community continues to struggle amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeter, a part-owner of Miami's team since 2017, told his staff Monday he's giving up his paychecks while the league continues to postpone play over coronavirus, ESPN reports.

Derek's salary is reportedly around $5 MILLION per year ... so the move is a pretty big one for the former Yankees captain.

Of course, his actions will help others in need in the Marlins' franchise ... reportedly, the team will now continue to pay its employees until at least May 31 -- right around the time baseball hopes to resume.

Jeter's pay cut comes just a week after MLB commish Rob Manfred also agreed to slash his salary in a move that could cost him around $4 MIL.

The good news ... baseball still appears to be committed toward paying its other employees in the meantime.

The MLB season was set to tip off on March 26 ... but was postponed indefinitely after coronavirus fears in early March.

Think Roger Goodell is going to finally make it through a draft without hearing boos????

THINK AGAIN ... 'cause the commish is actually ENCOURAGING the jeers -- and it's all for COVID-19 charity!!

Here's the deal ... Goodell has been booed at EVERY draft for the last decade or so -- mostly because NFL fans hate the way he runs the league.

But, with the coronavirus pandemic ... it seemed the commish was finally going to get a reprieve from it all as the league's draft Thursday has gone completely virtual.

The NFL, though, partnered with its beer sponsor Monday to make sure the tradition stays alive ... with Bud Light announcing it will donate $1 every time the #BooTheCommish hashtag is used on social media this week!

In fact, the booze company says it'll contribute up to $500,000 total to COVID-19 relief efforts to hear you boo the league's head man.

Larsa Pippen wants to make it crystal clear -- Scottie Pippen is NOT strapped for cash ... despite that god-awful deal he signed back in the day, which was a major story pointing the new MJ doc.

One of the biggest takeaways from episode 2 of "The Last Dance" was Pippen's incredibly bad 7-year, $18 million deal ... which made him one of the most undervalued players in the league.

Despite being Michael Jordan's wingman, Scottie was widely considered one of the best players in the Association during the '90s ... but couldn't crack the top 100 in earnings while in Chicago.

And, on top of that, there were rumors for YEARS that Scottie was broke as a joke even after his NBA career.

But, Scottie's estranged wife, Larsa, is stepping up to defend the Bulls legend ... clapping back at the haters by pointing to his 17-year career earnings -- $109 MILLION!

"Thx for your concerns Scottie did ok," Larsa wrote.

BTW -- Larsa filed for divorce back in November 2018, but they don't seem to be in a rush to officially cut ties. Court records show the divorce case is still technically active, but no one is really pushing to get it done.

So, could the doc actually bring Scottie and Larsa closer together and SAVE their marriage???

Stranger things have happened ...

As for the deal, Scottie explained he signed it because his family needed the money at the time ... and he was afraid of suffering a career-ending injury that would kill the gravy train altogether.

Bad decision? Of course, but after banking $109 MIL ... seems he's doing okay.

Tekashi 6ix9ine is wasting no time settling back into the life of a rap superstar following his early prison release ... he's spending tons of cash and getting offers for concerts.

Sources close to Tekashi69 tell TMZ ... the rapper is throwing tons of money around on whips and bling, purchasing a fleet of luxury vehicles that includes an Aventador, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes Benz G-Wagon and a Range Rover!!!

Tekashi's getting iced out too ... we're told he splurged on 4 timepieces, including a Richard Mille watch, and dropped another $300,000 on a chain shaped like a shark.

TMZ broke the story ... a judge released 6ix9ine from prison early after his plea to get out to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus. Tekashi's now under supervised release in-home incarceration.

Because 69's on house arrest, our sources say he's making the lavish purchases over the phone with the help of his trusted associates.

Tekashi's still fielding offers for shows despite being labeled a snitch ... we're told venues in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Europe and South America are offering him $500,000 for shows in 2020 and 2021 -- apparently, rats can make bank overseas.

Of course, 6ix9ine is still under house arrest for another 3 months, so he's gonna have to wait a while to take the stage again ... and the coronavirus pandemic is also throwing a wrench in his plans. Once Tekashi's off house arrest, he'll still need to get permission from his probation officer to travel for work, but the opportunities are out there.

Tekashi's got a daily routine at home ... when he's not burning through cash, we're told he's spending time with his family and working on an album, which is expected to drop in the coming months.

Bob Dylan's penmanship and lyrical genius are worth millions of dollars ... handwritten lyrics to some of his biggest hits are hitting the open market, and the asking prices are enormous!!!

Bob's handwritten original lyrics to three of his classics -- "The Times They Are A-Changin'," "Subterranean Homesick Blues," and "Lay, Lady, Lay" -- are going up for sale through the memorabilia company Moments in Time, and you're gonna need some extremely deep pockets to take them home.

It's pretty amazing ... the lyrics sheet to 'Times' is being hawked for a cool $2.2 million, while the lyrics sheet to 'Homesick Blues' is going for $1.2 mil. If those are outta your price range, consider lyrics to 'LLL' for only $650,000.

Bob's handwritten lyrics were acquired from a collector who bought them from the singer's manager years ago, and you can see Bob's mind at work just by looking at the pages -- there are tons of edits, scribbles, notes and even doodles!!!

Neiman Marcus, one of the largest retailers of its kind in America, has hit the mat and can't get up in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and the chain is reportedly ready to file for bankruptcy.

Neiman's 43 stores all shut down during the self-quarantine, along with its Last Call stores and its 2, NYC Bergdorf Goodman department stores. The Dallas-based company is carrying nearly $5 billion in debt, and the payments alone are millions of dollars a month ... bottom line -- they just can't pay the bill ... this according to Reuters, which says the bankruptcy filing could only be days away.

It's not really hard to understand. Retailers who support brick-and-mortar stores need customers to come in and buy things, and there are none. That's why other big chains, such as J.C. Penney, Macy's and Nordstrom are all on the financial ropes.

In the case of Neiman's, nearly all of its employees -- 14,000 strong -- have been furloughed.

It's unclear what kind of protection Neiman's would be seeking in bankruptcy court, but these are clearly tough times.

Green Bay Packers tight end Marcedes Lewis is packing up and moving out of his Hollywood condo ... and it's hitting the market for $1.4 million!!!

Of course, the 35-year-old NFL star played in Jacksonville for 12 seasons before joining the Pack in 2018 ... but has always had a place to hang his hat near his hometown of Long Beach.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Lewis is parting ways with his 2,000 square foot condo at the W Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard ... and it comes with a bunch of great features.

The 2-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom crib comes decked out with a full smart home system, 135" built-in movie screen in the master bedroom, massive custom closets with ceiling-high shoe racks, and a projection screen in the living room entertainment center.

On top of that, the new owner gets all the community perks of living at the W ... like a rooftop pool, fitness center and housekeeping.