A new era for young baseball players worldwide begins on January 15 with the opening of the international signing season. For kids who make it big to begin their careers with a major league organisation, this is an exciting and life-changing time.
According to MLB.com, “it’s one of the most important dates in the baseball industry and its arrival is celebrated like a holiday,” but in reality, it frequently results from predatory practices, where players, especially in the Dominican Republic, lie about their age and identity in order to scout and commit millions of dollars to 12-, 13-, and 14-year-olds.
The New York Mets are one of the organisations that signed a player who is being investigated, according to a Jan. 27 article with The Athletic that featured 17 industries regarding the proliferation of this fraud in the Dominican Republic:
Prospects from earlier classes have also come into question. The age of a Mets signee from the 2023 period is under investigation by the league and the player could be suspended, multiple people briefed on the player’s situation said. The Mets declined to comment.
The international signing period regulations state that a player must be 16 years old and turn 17 before September 1st of the following year in order to sign with a major league team between January 15 and December 15.
The Mets added notable prospects such catcher Yovanny Rodriguez, shortstop Yensi Rivas, outfielder Edward Lantigua, and outfielder/first baseman Vladi Guerrero during the 2024 international signing period. With $2.85 million, Rodriguez had the highest reward among them, while Lantigua only got $950,000. The ages of both players are 17.
The Mets were among the teams, according to The Athletic, to find out that a player they verbally agreed to sign or desired during this signing period was actually older than previously thought. Raymel Ortiz, the shortstop, and the Mets have an agreement, but Ortiz has not yet been signed.