A Major League Baseball investigation recently discovered that a top teenage prospect in the Dominican Republic, who had verbally agreed to sign with the San Diego Padres, falsified his paperwork and is five years older than previously believed, resulting in his retirement. of the agreement, sources told ESPN.
The teenager, who assumed the name César Altagracia, verbally agreed to sign with the Padres for about $4 million, a substantial bonus that meant he was considered one of the best international prospects in his class. The transaction would have become official in January 2027, once Altagracia was eligible to sign as an international free agent at age 16.
But MLB discovered that he is 19 years old, not 14, as stated in his documents. The teenager represented the Dominican Republic at the 2022 U-12 Baseball World Cup and this summer’s U-15 Pan American Championships under the false identity, sources said.
An MLB spokesman declined to comment. The Padres also declined to comment. The Dominican Baseball Federation is also investigating the matter, sources said.
Players who have been caught falsifying their ages are usually suspended for a year, before being allowed to re-apply for their age.
The existence of a spending limit in the international market, implemented as part of the collective bargaining agreement starting in 2012, and the race to identify the best talent in a baseball hotbed like the Dominican Republic have led teams to regularly agree contracts with players years before they are eligible to sign at age 16. Contracts are signed with players as young as 12 or 13, at which time they train under the supervision of a team, out of sight of rival evaluators, until the day of signing.
However, it is not uncommon for teams to cancel pre-arranged deals weeks before players sign them, either because a prospect did not develop as expected or because turnover in the team’s front office altered philosophies, sources said.
The hiring of amateur players has fueled an entire economy plagued by corruption. Last year saw a rise in high-profile players showing up with falsified birth certificates to appear up to five years younger, sources said. Many of those players have had their bonuses withdrawn after investigations revealed the information.
