A young baseball player from the Dominican Republic had a deal with the Padres worth about $4 million, but it turns out he is older than he claimed. This player, known as Cesar Altagracia, was actually 19 years old instead of 14, leading to the cancellation of his agreement. The issue arose because international players can only sign contracts at age 16.
Altagracia was supposed to officially sign in January 2027 when he reached the eligible age. However, ESPN reported that he used fake documents to appear younger and attract more interest from MLB teams. The reason behind MLB’s investigation into his age remains unknown.
Interestingly, Altagracia had participated in youth tournaments like the under-12 Baseball World Cup in 2022 and the under-15 Pan Am Championships recently. Fans might wonder how such discrepancies went unnoticed for so long.
International Signing System:
Every year during international free agency periods, MLB teams scout and sign young talents from Latin America and other regions. They often make early verbal agreements with players as young as 12, although official signing happens at 16. This system has brought stars like Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña Jr. into Major League Baseball.
Teams are eager to find future stars early on for an edge over competitors. But there’s also pressure on young athletes to stand out by any means necessary since being younger often makes them more appealing prospects.
In this unpredictable world of baseball scouting, what do you think about how these situations should be handled?
