Stories and rumors have floated around Dodgers news forums saying that the team is at risk of being charged with misconduct involving international signings, and would possibly be forced into releasing top catching prospect, Keibert Ruiz. However, a report today from Yahoo Sports’ baseball writer, Tim Brown, states that these rumors false.
As Brown stated, no team in Major League Baseball is under investigations for breaking conditional rules. The rumors involving the Dodgers keyed in on the team’s unorthodox acquisitions of Latin American ballplayers such as Yasiel Puig.
Allegations and evidence suggested that the Dodgers could have violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The support behind this claim include a piece written by Sports Illustrated, which took a deeper look into the ways that MLB teams recruit foreign players.
A 2015 dossier filed through the Department of Justice revealed a transcript of text messages between Dodgers executives, speaking about needing to “shred” or dispose of a signed contract that had not yet been approved by the league. The dossier also points towards the doctoring of official documents prior to forwarding them to the league’s head office.
While this evidence puts the Dodgers in an uncomfortable spot, this report from Tim Brown can help reassure fans that the Dodgers will not be facing penalties as of now, and will hold onto their highly regarded prospects and draft picks.
