Pain and penalties across the baseball world

By César Augusto Márquez

It was an offseason week full of pain and penalties. Major League Baseball brought the hammer down on the Atlanta Braves for trying to circumvent rules regarding international free agents, handing out a lifetime ban and making 13 minor leaguers free agents, including coveted switch-hitting shortstop Kevin Maitán of Venezuela.

In other news, a former Cuban major leaguer lost his life in an automobile accident and a Milwaukee Brewers prospect got shot in Venezuela, reminders that life is ever precious. Which is probably why Rangers third baseman Adrián Beltré, who this season became the first Dominican-born player to 3,000 hits, decided to celebrate his 15th wedding anniversary with a big bash.

MLB’s sanctions cost the Braves and three team executives dearly. In addition to losing all that young talent, the team will face severe restrictions in the international market during the next three years and loses its third-round pick in the 2018 draft, as well as three members of its front office. Former general manager John Coppolella was banned from baseball, while his former special assistant, international scout Gordon Blakeley, was a given a one-year suspension. And while he wasn’t implicated directly, John Hart was forced to step down as president of baseball operations before he decided to leave the Braves last week.

Considered the Braves’ fifth-best prospect, Maitán commanded a signing bonus of $4.25 million in 2016 as a 16-year-old. Six-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he will certainly attract plenty of new offers. Scouts compare him to fellow countryman Miguel Cabrera. But his stock may have fallen this summer. He hit .241/.290/.340 over 42 games for two different rookie league teams while committing 12 errors in 35 games at shortstop.

According to two sources, Maitán will skip showcases scheduled for today and Tuesday in Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The 17-year-old, who is allowed to keep his signing bonus, has reportedly received kidnapping threats back home and has laid low during the past couple of weeks, confining his public comments to his Instagram account @kevinfmh24.

“I’m one of those persons who has always known how to manage things, one of those persons who wherever he’s gone has left his mark… I’m a very strong warrior and things happen for a reason and only God knows why…” Maitán posted last week in Spanish.

Another unexpected death

Right-hander Miguel Alfredo González, who pitched briefly for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014, died in a car accident last Thursday in his hometown of Havana, Cuba. He was 34.

González was so highly regarded that the Phillies signed him at age 29 to a six-year, $48 million contract. But arm troubles cut short his career. He pitched a total of six games and 5.1 innings, striking out five and walking three while allowing nine hits and four earned runs. González is one of a number of former Phillies who have passed away in 2017, including Hall of Fame right-hander Jim Bunning, and just three weeks ago, former ace Roy Halladay.

Junior’s Dominican debut

Third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the Toronto Blue Jays’ top prospect, put an end to his Dominican winter league debut after 26 games. The 18-year-old had a sensational summer, hitting .323/.425/.485 in Single-A, but playing for Leones del Escogido presented a stiffer level of competition. Junior batted .211/.276/.278 with six RBI. Regardless, his proud papa, former major league superstar Vladimir Guerrero Sr., offered his gratitude to the team via his Instagram account @supervlad27.

“I want to thank @EscogidoBBClub for opening their doors to Vladdy Jr, giving him an opportunity that many would like to have at 18. Let’s take this wonderful moment as a learning experience to continue reaping rewards in the future,” he posted in Spanish.

Yandy’s new record

Yandy Díaz, the Cleveland Indians’ young Cuban third baseman, made history in Venezuela by extending a streak this week that he started last winter. Playing for Leones del Caracas, he has now safely reached base in 51 straight games, tying the winter league record held by Venezuelan José Castillo, an infielder who played five seasons in the majors. Díaz is hitting .333 with a home run and seven RBI in 11 games this winter.

Shot in Venezuela

Javier Betancourt, an infield prospect for the Milwaukee Brewers, was shot after an altercation at a nightclub in Caracas, Venezuela, this past weekend. Betancourt, 22, was wounded in the left elbow and treated at Policlinica Las Mercedes, a local hospital.

The nephew of former major leaguer Edgardo Alfonzo, Betancourt had been playing for Leones del Caracas. A team official said that Betancourt suffered bone damage and had left for the States for further examination by the Brewers and possible surgery.

Despite the high crime rate and political discord in the country, this is the first time that a ballplayer has been the victim of violence in Venezuela this winter. In 2011, Tampa Bay catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped for two days, while this year both Cabrera and Maitán have confirmed that they or members of their families have been subjected to kidnapping threats.

Party to remember

This past weekend, Beltré and his wife Sandra celebrated their 15th anniversary with a party that was more like a second wedding at the fashionable Casa de Campo Resort and Villas in La Romana, Dominican Republic. They danced to merengue and bachata singer Héctor “El Torito” Acosta, accompanied by close friends “King” Félix Hernández, David Ortiz and Albert Pujols. That’s quite a lineup. Congratulations, Adrián and Sandra.

Featured Image: David Ortiz Instagram