Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported last week that a grand jury had been convened as part of a federal investigation into Latin American amateur signings by Major League Baseball clubs. Now, Jon Wertheim of Sports Illustrated writes that the Department of Justice has undertaken “a sweeping probe into possible corruption tied to the recruitment of international players, centered on potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.” Multiple alleged victims of smuggling and human trafficking violations have either provided evidence to law enforcement or testified before a federal grand jury, according to Wertheim.
The DOJ’s investigation “could get interesting,” a top baseball official told SI, which “obtained a thick dossier of documentation that was provided to the FBI at the beginning of the probe,” Wertheim writes. That dossier features “videotapes, photographs, confidential legal briefs, receipts, copies of player visas and passport documents, internal club emails and private communications by franchise executives in 2015 and 2016,” Wertheim adds.
Per Passan’s report, the Dodgers have come under scrutiny for their signing of infielder Hector Olivera out of Cuba for six years and $62.5MM in 2015. While Olivera’s name isn’t mentioned in SI’s report, it notes that the Dodgers “figure most prominently in the dossier” it obtained. The Dodgers, according to SI, “went so far as to develop a database that measured the perceived “level of egregious behavior” displayed by 15 of their own employees in Latin America.” The Dodgers used a 1-5 scale to measure whether an employee was an “innocent bystander” or a “criminal,” per Wertheim, who adds that five of their 15 employees received a criminal rating. One of those employees, whose focus was on the Caribbean and Venezuela, was “unbelievably corrupt,” SI relays.
Wertheim’s must-read piece sheds more light on potentially corrupt behavior from the Dodgers, though neither president Andrew Friedman nor ex-director of player development Gabe Kapler (now the Phillies’ manager) returned messages to SI seeking comment. Dodgers outside counsel David Schindler told SI he has “no knowledge” of a DOJ investigation, meanwhile. For its part, “Major League Baseball has not been contacted by federal authorities regarding an investigation,” MLB spokesman Pat Courtney informed the magazine. However, it’s “likely” that will change, according to Wertheim.
Hope the DOJ throws the book at the Dodgers.
And does this (or just plain aversion) have anything to do with he O’s not getting involved in this market for years?
Chalk that up to the stupidity of Peter Angelos
All it takes is to mention the dodgers in someting like this and some people like you “trying to buy a team” vein gets triggerd. Why dont you wait til the actual facts come out or at least read the story. They fired corrupt employees 3 years ago. No one is going down in the dodgers current group
“No one is going down in the dodgers current group”……wanna bet?
Between Friedman , Zaidi and the major parts of ownership. Im not talking some scout or employee
Kenleyfornia74……
“The dossier also appears to describe efforts to circumvent federal laws and MLB rules requiring Cuban players to establish residency in another country before negotiating and signing with a team”
“Among those efforts to circumvent, the dossier includes a transcript of a Nov. 21, 2015, text message conversation between two Dodgers executives in which they discuss the need to “shred” a contract signed with a player before MLB had approved the document.”
“There is an additional reference to how the Dodgers “f—–” over a prominent agent by signing an international player before the agent could secure him as a client.
This is just some of what is known so far. You really believe “Friedman , Zaidi and the major parts of ownership” had no idea or hand in it?
You cant sign these guys until MLB approves it and attempting to circumvent it doesn’t say much, that can mean a lot of diffrent things. This was Friedman and Zaidis first season and i really doubt the first thing they would come in and do is be corrupt.
Kenleyfornia74…..I hope you take those blinders off when driving.
I hope you dont get near any angry mobs. You sound ready to accuse someone based off little info and assuming things.
And you have assumed them completely innocent only because they are the Dodgers.
What I am saying is there is a DoJ and FBI investigation as well as a federal grand jury all based on “videotapes, photographs, confidential legal briefs, receipts, copies of player visas and passport documents, internal club emails and private communications by franchise executives in 2015 and 2016.”
I assumed Friedman and Zaidi their 1st year president/ GM at the time innocent. Thats based on them cleaning house of the international deparpment
You keep saying that and ignoring things like “Per Passan’s report, the Dodgers have come under scrutiny for their signing of infielder Hector Olivera out of Cuba for six years and $62.5MM in 2015.” and “internal club emails and private communications by franchise executives in 2015 and 2016.” In fact the investigation focuses on years under Friedman and Zaidi.
I am still trying to figure out this…” and attempting to circumvent it doesn’t say much, that can mean a lot of diffrent things.” What things could it mean? Why would an MLB team have a player sign a contract before approval? Did they suddenly forget they can’t do that? It doesn’t sound a little suspicious to you?
This has become circular and useless…I’m done trying to be realistic….have a nice night.
You told me that someone in the dodgers was going to go down for it. You seem awfully sure of it. The burdon of proof is always on the accuser. So until you can give me stuff other than “fishy” (which i will give you it is) there is no reason to think anything of this report yet.
Actually the first statement of guilt or innocence was yours…”No one is going down in the dodgers current group” All I have done is point out your blind spots.
Aside from that saying “So until you can give me stuff other than “fishy” (which i will give you it is)” is lol worthy since we are both reading from the same sources. The difference is you declared them clean and angelic where as I look at reports of a federal investigation that started in spring training LAST year and realize that an 18 +/- federal investigation that lead to a grand jury probably has some teeth to it..
Have a nice day
YES!!! Jump to conclusions! Just like you guys did when Wasserman ended its relationship with Puig, how long was he suspended for again?
What an EXCELLENT comparison frankiegxiii. An agent dumping a client and an 18+/- federal investigation that has led to a grand jury. They are exactly the same. /s
Who said I was comparing them, the point here is jumping to conclusions, which is exactly what you are doing
By saying “Just like you guys did when….” you are making a comparison. All I am doing is reading the facts at hand so far and making an educated guess.
Do you believe the FBI and DoJ would continue on without evidence? Would a federal grand jury be convened on a whim?
There is an awful lot of smoke for there not to be fire. If it was happening to the Phillies I would feel the same way and not let partisanship enter in.
Friedman’s the boss. That piece of dirt HAS to be involved! Selective journalism is the only reason he’s feeling the heat yet…yet.
Typical Snowflake.
Guilty until proven innocent eh, Libby?
Sounds like agents are mad they dont get a cut of international signings and are trying to undermine an already corrupt and flawed system. As many on here have noted these 3rd world countries operate in shady ways which leads us to think an international draft would be fair to all and help eliminate money changing hands with “criminals”
Also article fails to mention the outcome of the employees termed as criminals. So if the dodgers found credible suspecious activity and delt with it by firing said people what is the problem?
The Braves gm got banned for what he did a year or so ago. The Braves had to suffer too with some of their international players becoming free agents. Dont know what the outcome of this will be. Maybe itll be nothing. But the Dodgers can still get a punishment
What is this different from drug smuggling into the US? Both generates tremendous amount of money along the way and the end consumers in US are generally forgiving out of addictions.
This seems more akin to human trafficking than drug smuggling and it’s been going on for a long time obviously. At this point, I imagine most teams are guilty of it to a greater or lesser degree. The Braves were punished heavily recently and this article references the Dodgers specifically, but I’m not comfortable with the dark nature of any of it. I’m a Yankee fan and they have always been very involved in the international market. I can’t say that I have a warm, fuzzy feeling.
I like your sentiment. Better to assess the situation and let it play out before jumping on the mob wagon. Imagine calling out Canseco for ‘Roids as a Giants fan in the early 90’s, only to watch Barry and the rest of baseball commit the same “crime”.
The braves got punished hard last year. It’s only fair, that if the dodgers are found guilty, they get the same punishment.
Olivera brought in alex wood… could he be made a free agent?
The Braves GM himself was taking part in it. Friedman fired those involved here.
Braves fired their employees, it didn’t soften the punishment.
They didnt have to give up any prospect of noteable value. Soto and maitan stink honestly for angels. Didnt cost them accuna even though he fell in that signing period.
Because their sitting GM had a direct hand in all of it. If Zaidi or Friedman did the same thing as Coppy they would get the same punishment.
It’s a little early to write Maitan off. The guys only 18. Give him a chance to grow and get accustomed to professional baseball first.
Acuña was signed by Wren. And it’s too early to tell of any of those guys the braves lost, would hurt them. The braves also can’t spend any money for the next 2 years in international signings. (I think)
Actually Acuna did not fall into that signing period. He was signed by the previous GM, Frank Wren.
I’m reserving judgement until I know what the Dodgers did with this information. Did they fire these ‘criminal’ employees? Or did they look the other way? And if they did look the other way, how many other teams are doing the same thing? Int’l signing rules need to be rebuilt from the ground-up.
Didn’t you know? In USA 2018 you’re supposed to assume guilt until proven innocent.
This would certainly explain the 2015-2016 purge of the international scouting department.
Could be. I haven’t read the SI article but the summary here seems to suggest that the Dodgers were tolerating if not seeking out criminals to work as scouts and recruiters, when they might just as well have been identifying them for dismissal. Either way, this looks like a major theme for this offseason. It would also be surprising if only the Dodgers were implicated. Pretty much every player who made his way from Cuba to MLB has had to deal with some shifty people.
I agree ^
Great point!
If you read the article is seems as though the Dodgers collected the information after an internal investigation. Appears again more like the reason for the purge especially after concerns arose about the “mafia.” I think most fans assumed the purge was due to the just terrible scouting and signings on the IFA market, but seems more like an underlying issue. The shadiness in Cuba dealings seems inherent. The problem still resides in the fact that it was staff that they inherited and were allowed to run wild. So I guess if the names on their documents match those purged then they covered butts. The question is who was left, I guess.
Well, I don’t like Gabe Kapler, but this is not what I had in mind. Wow.
Considering SI specifically asked to speak to Friedman and Kapler it can certainly lead one to believe that their names may have been on those redacted emails. I have a feeling the Phillies will be looking for a new manager in the somewhat near future.
This could be there way out of his deal, mike Scioscia on line 1!
I want them to look for a new manager, but I admit I wish no one these circumstances. Again, just wow.
Maybe Dusty Wathan will get a chance now.
Anyone. Dusty Wathan, Dusty Baker, the ghost of Connie Mack….
I get this is a pretty serious issue, but I laughed pretty hard at the part about the Dodgers having their own database of corruptness running through their organization
Absolute analytics
Seems as good a time as any to point that that there is no good reason to not have a single unified draft.
I seen a poster make a comment the other day that it would be unfair for the international kids. They are so much further behind in a pure developmental stand point compared to their North American counterparts. They aren’t getting the best coaching and equipment or guidance and as a result wouldn’t stand a chance. Theyd all just fall deep in the draft and wouldn’t have a chance to get the big bonuses. I can’t see the MLBPA or anybody with any say from Latin America going for this.
A- Why should players who aren’t as developed get bonuses as big as players who are more developed and thus less risky? Why should a mediocre Latin prospect get $1 million while a mediocre drafted player gets $50,000?
B- How are they better served by this corrupt system of human trafficking?
If teams can only acquire a player’s rights via the draft, there is virtually no incentive for them to engage in corrupt behaviors like these.
The development model would have to shift away from individual teams with their “academies” etc. into one that MLB oversees for all 30 teams, with the goal being player development instead of acquisition.
All positive changes compared to the current system.
It might make more sense or be more “fair” in a vacuum, but never its never going to happen due to those reasons. I don’t see a way baseballs ever going to have the strategy or amount of people backing this to ever implement it.
Might want to look at Puerto Rico. There’s precedent there as to why adding all Latin kids to the us draft wouldn’t be the best idea.
A unified draft would be terrible for money-hungry MLB owners — especially with the new hard caps on Int’l spending.
There are a litany of reasons. Mainly being Latin American players have no form of recourse. I bet owners are salivating at the thought.
Attorney Sheryl Ring at Fangraphs cited a 2014 article by David Peet and David Mindell:
“Indeed, franchises belonging to professional sports leagues could, for example, be liable based on scouting activities conducted on their behalf by third parties abroad. FCPA liability attaches if the covered party gives anything of value to any other person while knowing that this third party will make an improper payment to a foreign official, and the standard for knowledge is surprisingly low. The covered party can face liability for having mere awareness that the unlawful conduct has a high probability of occurring. The absence of an actual knowledge requirement ensures that a covered party cannot escape FCPA liability by being willfully blind to facts and circumstances that would tend to indicate unlawful conduct.”
This would seem to implicate Dodgers upper management if the allegation about the database is true.
Focus on Obama and Hillary crimes! What did i vote for Trump for again?