Underage Players, Predatory Moneylenders: 7 Findings From Our Dominican Baseball Investigation
The post Underage Players, Predatory Moneylenders: 7 Findings From Our Dominican Baseball Investigation appeared first on ProPublica .
The Dominican Republic is known for producing a disproportionately high number of Major League Baseball players, including Hall of Famers Pedro Martínez and Adrian Beltré. Each year, about 450 prospects receive signing bonuses from $30,000 to several figures, which can be life-changing for the players and their families in an impoverished country like the Dominican Republic.
Major League Baseball (MLB) allows a system where trainers coach children in exchange for future earnings, often receiving a share of the player's signing bonus, typically 35% to 50%. These trainers often run their own academies and provide room, board, and equipment. MLB scouts recognize Dominican talent, leading to the establishment of training academies.
From 2012 to early 2026, MLB teams paid $1.042 billion in bonuses to Dominican prospects, but much of this money, up to half a billion dollars, is nearly immediately siphoned off by trainers and lenders.
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