The Cleveland Guardians have found great success in signing young players to international free agent contracts. Jose Ramirez, Brayan Rocchio, Angel Martinez and Angel Genao are players on the current major league roster who arrived via that route.
However, it can also be a controversial process at times. That has been proven by a recent scandal involving a player the Guardians were connected to.
According to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, Major League Baseball has uncovered a bizarre fraud case tied to a Guardians deal, with an uncertain identity at its center.
“A Dominican prospect who got a $2.8M pre-deal was found to be two years older, part of an elaborate age-fraud plot that involved a fake identity, a fake death & a fake tombstone,” Gonzalez posted.
A Dominican prospect who got a $2.8M pre-deal was found to be two years older, part of an elaborate age-fraud plot that involved a fake identity, a fake death & a fake tombstone.
More on his story, a glaring example of a market rife with corruption …https://t.co/ngddDbXy1K
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 28, 2026
The ESPN report says the MLB investigation revealed that the handler of the teenage player, whose name was thought to be David Severino, used fake birth and death certificates and falsified medical and school records to make him seem younger than he actually is. There was also a fake gravesite scene created.
“The caper began to unravel shortly after the Cleveland Guardians agreed in December to a $2.8 million pre-deal with a switch-hitting infielder going by the name of David Severino. The Guardians thought he was 13 or 14 years old and that the deal would be finalized in 2029, by which point Severino would be 17 and eligible to sign. But Severino’s name and age were both fake,” Gonzalez wrote.
By competing against much younger players, Severino was able to make an impression that drew the attention of the Guardians. The player, whose real name is Daury Severino, would have been eligible to sign a contract in January 2027 based on his actual age, instead of in 2029, which the Guardians had agreed to. Now, with a suspension resulting from this investigation, he must wait until 2028, if any team is willing to sign him at that point.
The Guardians do not face any punishment from MLB. Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti did not comment to ESPN.
Cleveland opened the 2026 signing period by adding 22 international free agents, including eight from the Dominican Republic, which is the home country of Ramirez, Martinez and Genao. It is unclear if this latest development will change the organization’s approach to the process in any way.
The ESPN story points out that “age and identity fraud run rampant on the international scene, especially in the Dominican Republic.” But it has rarely reached the extent and circumstances in this case.
Hopefully, the Guardians’ organization can put this episode behind them and continue to find success in this area.
NEXT: 2 Things That Must Go Right For Guardians To Make The Playoffs
