The San Diego Padres withdrew a verbal agreement after learning that a prospect from the Dominican Republic claimed to be five years older than his actual age. Jorge Castillo and Alden Gonzalez It was reported to ESPN.

The prospect, who went by the name Cesar Altagracia, was believed to be 14 years old. He agreed to sign a $4 million contract with the Padres when he becomes eligible for international free agency in 2027, according to Castillo and Gonzalez.

Castillo and Gonzalez reported that MLB later learned that Altagracia was 19 years old and had previously represented the Dominican Republic in youth tournaments with a “fake ID.”

According to Castillo and Gonzalez, MLB has seen “an increase in the number of high-profile players posing with fake birth certificates and making themselves look as much as five years younger” in the past year.

This reported increase could also include an outfielder prospect for the New York Mets from the Dominican Republic; This player was reportedly suspended in April for falsifying his identity and age. mike mayer Metsmerized.

Here’s the prospect Anthony Baptist went to: signed Reported in 2023 at age 17 for $1.1 million.

Castillo and Gonzalez stated that it is normal for players to receive a one-year suspension if they are found to have lied about their age.

athletics Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal In January, it was reported that MLB executives and representatives believed “age and identity fraud is on the rise again among amateur baseball players in the Dominican Republic” ahead of the 2024 season.

An MLB official told Drellich and Rosenthal that the league “has not seen any significant statistical change in these numbers over the last few years,” but The Athletic reporters noted that these figures do not include verbal agreements with prospects who are allegedly too young to sign. some.

The Mets, as well as the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics, were among the teams that “recently” discovered that an international prospect they were in talks with was skewing their age, according to Drellich and Rosenthal.

According to Drellich and Rosenthal, “several” of these players were in line for jackpots over $1 million; This amount was an amount they would not have been able to obtain as older leads.

As Drellich and Rosenthal wrote in January:

“The league conducts background checks on international amateurs in all countries through its Age and Identity Investigation department, which was implemented more than a decade ago. However, the league does not vet players who are more than a year away from signing a contract. For this reason, some teams have to conduct background checks on young players. He hires his own private detectives.”

MLB had previously considered implementing an international draft, but incapable To reach an agreement with the MLBPA sign of the new CBA in 2022.