An investigation by Major League Baseball found a top teenage prospect who had verbally agreed to join the San Diego Padres lied about his age by five years, Jorge Castillo and Aiden Gonzalez of ESPN reported Saturday.
The teenager, who assumed the name Cesar Altagracia, is from the Dominican Republic. The verbally agreed deal reportedly was worth around $4 million as he was considered among the best from his class.
However, the agreement was withdrawn after the investigation found that Altagracia is not 14 years old, but actually 19, as his documents stated.
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An MLB spokesperson and the Padres declined to comment, according to the report.
The Dominican Baseball Federation also is investigating the matter further as Altagracia played for the country's U-12 Baseball World Cup in 2022 and U-15 Pan American Championships this past summer under the falsified age.
Altagracia would've been eligible for the contract in January of 2027 when he would've been a 16-year-old international free agent, though that's no longer the case.
It isn't the first example of an amateur international player falsifying their age to appear as a better prospect. Players who are found to have lied are usually punished with a one-year suspension before they can reapply for the majors.
