A prospect who had a big deal with the San Diego Padres is reportedly not who he says he is.
An MLB investigation found that top Dominican teenage prospect Cesar Altagracia falsified his documents and is actually 19, not 14 as he previously claimed, according to ESPN.
The teenager reportedly had a verbal deal to sign with the Padres as an international free agent for around $4 million once he became eligible in January 2027, when he would be 16 years old.
This figure indicates that he was considered one of the best candidates in his class. Only three players in this year’s cycle signed for more than $4 million. The man also performed well as a member of the Dominican Republic team at the 2022 U-12 Baseball World Cup and U-15 Pan American Championship, according to Baseball America’s Ben Badler, who posted videos of him having a hard contact in June.
Cases like this are unprecedented in the Dominican Republic, where teams often pick up kids well before their supposed free agency and place them in academies while they wait for promised deals that may or may not come to fruition. It’s a system where corruption and subterfuge are common, especially to the detriment of players.
There was a similar incident in 2009, when a supposed 19-year-old Washington Nationals prospect named Esmailyn “Smiley” González was revealed to be 23-year-old Carlos Álvarez Daniel Lugo. Unfortunately for the Nationals, this was after he received his $1.4 million bonus. The revelation precipitated the downfall of Nationals manager Jim Bowden, who was also under investigation for diverting money from international signings.
There was also Danny Almonte, a Dominican-born Little League World Series star who turned out to be two years older than his parents claimed.
In Altagracia’s case, ESPN notes that MLB often suspends players who falsify their age for a year before they can apply for reinstatement.
