A Dominican baseball prospect who has been linked to the San Diego Padres has reportedly misrepresented his identity and age, sparking significant controversy. According to a Saturday evening report by Jorge Castillo and Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, the prospect, who recently made a verbal agreement to sign with the Padres upon turning 16, falsified his age.
An investigation conducted by Major League Baseball (MLB) revealed that the player, who claimed to be just 14 years old, is actually 19 years old.
The prospect, who has been going by the name Cesar Altagracia, had previously represented the Dominican Republic in two international events, including the 2022 U-12 Baseball World Cup. This revelation has left the Padres and MLB in a precarious position, as age falsification undermines the integrity of the player development system and casts a shadow over the international signing process.
San Diego had reportedly struck a verbal agreement with Altagracia to sign him in January 2027, once he would have been eligible under MLB rules. The agreement included a significant $4 million signing bonus, highlighting the Padres’ belief in Altagracia’s potential. However, with the discovery of his true age, the deal is now null and void, leaving questions about what led to this misrepresentation and how it went undetected for so long.
The case of Cesar Altagracia is not an isolated incident. In fact, this type of identity and age falsification has a long history in baseball, particularly in the international market. Astute baseball fans will recall the infamous cases of pitchers Roberto Hernandez and Juan Carlos Oviedo, both of whom falsified their identities and ages early in their careers.
These players were eventually exposed, leading to suspensions and significant damage to their reputations.
The practice of falsifying birth certificates to appear younger is a direct result of the pressures within the international amateur signing system.
RELATED: Mamiko Tanaka Poses for Dodgers Fans Without Husband Shohei Ohtani
Younger players are often seen as having greater potential, and teams are willing to invest more heavily in prospects they believe are in their early teenage years. This has created a situation where prospects and those around them feel incentivized to lie about their age in order to secure lucrative contracts.
In their report, Castillo and Gonzalez highlight the deeper issues within the international signing process. “The signing of amateur players in the international market has fueled an entire economy rife with corruption,” they wrote.
The last year, according to sources, has seen an uptick in high-profile players presenting falsified birth certificates, sometimes making themselves appear as much as five years younger than they actually are. This troubling trend underscores the need for reform and increased oversight within the system.
The San Diego Padres, like many other MLB teams, have invested significant resources into scouting and signing international talent. The allure of discovering the next superstar often leads to aggressive pursuit of young prospects, but cases like Altagracia’s reveal the vulnerabilities in this system. Teams are often at the mercy of local trainers, agents, and family members who may have their own motivations for misleading scouts and executives.
For MLB, this latest incident is another reminder of the ongoing challenges in regulating the international signing market. Ensuring the accuracy of player identities and ages is no easy task, especially given the complexities of the scouting landscape in countries like the Dominican Republic.
The league has taken steps in recent years to increase oversight, including implementing measures aimed at improving the verification process for birth certificates. However, as the Altagracia case demonstrates, there is still much work to be done.
The Padres, meanwhile, will have to move forward without the prospect they had hoped would become part of their future core. It’s a disappointing outcome for the organization, which had invested time and resources into scouting Altagracia.
It also serves as a cautionary tale for other teams navigating the often murky waters of international scouting and player acquisition.
As MLB continues to grapple with these issues, it is clear that more needs to be done to protect the integrity of the game and ensure that young players are not pressured into falsifying their identities.
The stakes are high, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be severe—not just for the players involved, but for the teams and the league as a whole.
In the wake of this scandal, the hope is that MLB will take further steps to tighten its regulations and create a more transparent and trustworthy system for all parties involved.
