A pair of minor league players have filed suit against the Angels for allegedly reneging on verbal agreements made back in 2019, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. Outfielder Willy Fañas, now with the Mets, and infielder Keiderson Pavon, now with the Rangers, claim that the Angels verbally agreed to respective signing bonuses of $1.8MM and $425K in 2019. The Dominican Prospect League shared a video of former Angels director of international scouting Carlos Gomez (not the former player) informing Pavon the team plans to sign him, at which point a then 15-year-old Pavon breaks down in tears of joy (YouTube link).
Fañas and Pavon allege that those agreements, which came more than a year in advance of the players’ eligibility to sign under Major League Baseball’s rules — international amateurs can sign beginning on their 16th birthdays — were withdrawn in 2020, less than one month before the international signing period was set to commence. Fañas had been 14 at the time of his agreement; Pavon was 15. As Passan points out, the Covid-19 pandemic pushed the July 2, 2020 signing eligibility date back to January of 2021, and by that point, the Halos had fired then-GM Billy Eppler and replaced him with current GM Perry Minasian. With that change came alterations in the international scouting department; Minasian hired Brian Parker to oversee the team’s international operations.
Both players have since signed with new clubs, though Fañas waited until the following signing period to put pen to paper on a contract with a new team. Because early deals just such as these are so common throughout the industry, neither player was able to find a team able to immediately commit a substantial bonus; like the Angels, other teams had already verbally committed the majority of resources in their hard-capped signing pools to other amateurs well in advance of those teenage prospects reaching actual signing eligibility. Fañas, perhaps unsurprisingly, ultimately inked a $1.5MM bonus with the Mets, where Eppler is now GM. Pavon signed for $150K with the Rangers.
While both players eventually found organizations with which to sign, albeit at reduced rates, they’re still seeking damages from the Angels. Fañas is seeking $17MM, while Pavon seeks $4.25MM.
Those figures represent roughly ten times what the Angels had initially promised, though the representatives for Fañas and Pavon could cite multiple factors in seeking such weighty sums. It’s common for players, upon reaching a verbal agreement with a team, to take out loans with exorbitant interest rates, with the intent that the eventual signing bonus will allow those players to pay back that loan. The team withdrawing an offer obviously creates complications in such instances. Speculatively, it’s also plausible that the Fañas and Pavon camps could claim the players’ delayed paths to potential arbitration and free-agent paydays were delayed by the alleged Angels actions. There’s no guarantee they’d ever reach those milestones, of course, and quantifying the exact amount that delay cost either player is impossible.
Whether the suit is successful carries long-term ramifications with regard to the broader international market. Because the league and players association were unable to come to terms on an agreement regarding an international draft, the status quo system that permits this level of largely unregulated advance agreements is likely to remain in place until 2026, when the current collective bargaining agreement expires. If Fañas and Pavon are successful in demonstrating that there are repercussions for teams pursuing premature verbal agreements that flout the rules put into place by MLB, it stands to reason that they may be more reluctant to barter such deals.
The sword cuts both ways, it should be noted. It’s also not uncommon for a player and his trainer and representation to back out of an agreement with a team if he elevates his profile considerably between the time that agreement is reached and the time he’s actually eligible to sign. The rampant disregard for rules prompted agent Ulises Cabrera, who helped establish the Dominican Prospect League and who works with dozens of Latin American players, to refer to the entire system as “the wild, wild West” when speaking to ESPN.
Although the suit was initially filed in May, any ruling on the litigation will wait until months down the road. Passan adds that a Dominican judge recently moved to postpone the appearance of witnesses until late November. And while many American fans may wonder whether there’s any real chance that a court of law would agree to uphold a verbal agreement as a binding contract, Passan quotes several Dominican lawyers and legal professionals who emphasize that the Dominican justice system places greater emphasis on verbal declarations than the United States court system does. The report features lengthy quotes from Cabrera, from the lawyers representing Fañas and Pavon, from third-party legal professionals in the Dominican and from the plaintiffs themselves, so those with interest will want to check it out in its entirety to grasp the full scope of the controversy.
yankees500
Angels need a complete overhaul. Add this to the Tyler Skaggs incident and how they handled the Mickey Callaway situation.
RunDMC
Who would that be besides owner, Moreno? Pres of Baseball Ops: John Carpino that has been in the role since ’09? GM Perry Minasian came in after and is still dealing with cleaning house.
Steve Adams
Not that this distinction is at all the issue at hand here, but I felt it worth pointing out: Carpino oversees all of the team’s business operations but is not the president of baseball operations.
Some teams distinguish between “president of baseball operations” and “president of business operations” with those specific titles. The Angels do not make that distinction with Carpino’s title — perhaps since the their top decision-maker, Minasian, carries the “GM” title and not” president.”
Anyhow, Carpino is on the business side of things. Minasian runs baseball ops (as Eppler did before him, Dipoto before him, and Reagins before him).
bkbkbkbk
This is inaccurate Carpino oversees everything. Hes as much a cancer as Arte.
bkbkbkbk
Arte Moreno is a living super villain
User 2079935927
Steve,
With the exception of Minasian, Carpino and Dennis Kuhl are Frat bros of Angel owner Arte Moreno. They attended University of Arizona. Lesson #1 hire someone that knows how to run a MLB team.
harrystyles
long live mickey callaway
User 2079935927
I think he’s allowed to come back next year.
BmoreBallistics
While tragic a drug od is. Personal responsibility really has to be main cause and fault. Not blaming an org for that. Especially Skaggs wasn’t some teenager with a barely formed brain and influenced by culture and peer pressure.
jdgoat
If these teams really are giving out addictive pain killers like candy though they do deserve some of the blame.
BmoreBallistics
Some absolutely il give you that.
5toolMVP
@yankee500
How did the Angels mishandle the Mickey Calloway situation??
Didn’t all that crap happen when he was with CLEV/NYM and didn’t the Angels, upon hearing of ppl coming forward, put MC in admin leave almost immediately pending internal/MLB investigation?
vaderzim
I hope these guys can upgrade this to a class-action lawsuit against the Angels for conviction of being a terrible organization. I know nothing about law & justice, but I feel like there are a lot of people who would feel the same way Fenas & Pavon.
User 2079935927
Conviction of being a terrible organization? “Terrible” is based on opinion. Not a absolute.
never woke
This is BS. Bet on it. You can’t trust that group from the D. R.
stymeedone
Fair enough. Those in the DR likely say you can’t trust the Americanos.
DGHalos714
Just another sad Halo development. They have a black cloud hanging over them and it seems to have spread throughout the entire organization. The different layers of disappointment, negativity and poor management is obvious. Just the thought of new ownership would hopefully be a breath of fresh air for the franchise. Any rebuild with Trout shouldn’t take too long. And keep Ohtani and some of the other building pieces and we can contend in a few years. Right now we can’t even sniff the playoffs. Sad
Jonny5
Not sure why these guys think they’re owed millions of dollars based upon a verbal agreement from the previous GM. If I’m the new GM I’m not going to honor any verbal agreements if the players aren’t who I truly want.
Had their stock “risen” after the initial verbal agreement they would’ve taken bigger offers elsewhere. Should teams be able to sue players who do this? Not at all. Nor should players be suing when the opposite happens.
phillyphilly4133
This is how business is done with the J2prospects.
phillyphilly4133
Once a verbal agreement is reached the players are removed from the eyes of all teams and train separately. Guys disappear. This is why it is hard to rank guys bc sometimes they are out of scouts eyes for a year plus before signing.
Players do not back away from their verbal commitments and teams are supppose to keep theirs.
This is how business is done in the DR for years.
Halo11Fan
Give me a break. When you sign you sign. And until that, you are not signed. Period.
BmoreBallistics
That’s how we view it in American law. Down there verbal holds much more weight in the court of law then how we do.
Halo11Fan
What’s a verbal agreement? You think agents pay much attention to verbal agreements? These players are literally bread to be ball players. They know what’s going on. Even if there was a verbal agreement, which is highly questionable, a verbal agreement means nothing. Until they sign on the bottom line, they can sign anywhere they want and get whatever they can.
This is such BS.
BmoreBallistics
Yes to us business minded Americans understand that… down in the DR the law sees it differently
jdgoat
“And while many American fans may wonder whether there’s any real chance that a court of law would agree to uphold a verbal agreement as a binding contract, Passan quotes several Dominican lawyers and legal professionals who emphasize that the Dominican justice system places greater emphasis on verbal declarations than the United States court system does.”
This is quite literally in the article above.
Halo11Fan
What’s a verbal agreement? What evidence?
Steve Adams
It’s international free agency. Every agreement is verbal, because they’re agreeing to terms with these kids when they’re 15, 14, 13 and even 12 years old.
What happened to Fanas and Pavon is, of course, not the only instance of this happening over the years. Far from it. And this reply isn’t intended as a means of condemning the Angels, who had obvious business reasons for the change.
But to dismiss all verbal agreements, when they’re the standard in international free agency, is silly. They don’t hold weight in a U.S. court of law, but this an agreement conducted in a foreign country where verbal declaration is standard protocol. Watch the video of Pavon being told he’ll be signed, and you’ll see why a 15-year-old kid and his family are convinced it’s happening.
You can rip the system — and you should; it’s a nonsensical system that sees MLB implement “rules” it rarely bothers to enforce — but that’s an MLB issue that is much larger than this specific instance.
Steve Adams
“What evidence?”
There is literally a video of the Angels’ scouting director telling Pavon he signed, linked at the end of the first paragraph.
tstats
Steve firing on all cylinders today, love it!
Codeeg
Right? The kid is crying from joy about how he’s gonna be signed.
Omarj
Thanks for being so responsive Steve. Good info. I hope baseball fixes this “wild wild west” crap. The living situations, union, and international agreements. Baseball needs to clean itself up and it’ll be better for baseball globally, fans, and the money will come, as will better players.
Halo11Fan
I don’t speak Spanish, I don’t know exactly what was said, and I don’t know if such an agreement prevents him from showing this video to another team and getting a better offer.
And of course what if the player gets hurt. Gets busted for breaking the law? Etc…. These kids are bread to play ball and I’d surprised if these kids are all that naive. I’d be surprised if all the money goes to the kid. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t have some form of representation.
I don’t think these are naive kids being swindled by the big bad big league team.
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15,14,13, and sometimes 12 year olds? Haha Wowzers I had no idea. I don’t know how you scout/project a 12 year old but I guess they are doing it somehow. I would love to see a scouting report on some of their pre-teen prospects just for kicks.
bravesiowafan
These naive kids were 14 and 15 respectively. I wouldn’t expect them to know what they are doing not many 14/15 yr olds do. Sure they could get pressured but doesn’t change they are kids bud. They just want a pro contract in US like kids here do except international players are forced into adult choices as early teens not high school and college kids.
.
Who said anything about knowing what they are doing??? I said I had NO idea how young some of these kids were as Steve Adams pointed out in his post and that it would be fun to see a scouting report on some of these younger kids. Your entire reply was irrelevant to everything I said BUD!
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BravesIowaFan, don’t be so condescending to people.
bravesiowafan
I wasn’t responding to you or being condescending I was responding to halofan11 not my fault this site has a crappy comment set up
KamKid
“These players are literally bread”
Thank you for one of the most amusing images to pass through my brain today.
Steve Adams
The video was filmed by an Angels employee, but…. Sure, it was probably filmed by the kid to show another team to try to coax out a larger bonus.
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This stuff is so much more trickier than I ever knew/imagined haha
Halo11Fan
This is their job, they know what they are doing. And they have ample representation. This is an industry. And they often shop them selves around after teams say they plan to sign them.
Jim Passan of ESPN has a more balanced article.
candymaldonado
I hope they take em to the cleaners, but we’re also kidding ourselves if we think all 30 teams aren’t doing this. The corruption and contempt from MLB toward young Latin American players does not begin and end with one team. They’re just the ones who did it to players who are fighting back. Hopefully this leads to a complete overhaul of our international systems.
MuleorAstroMule
When MLB claimed the new system would eliminate the buscones they forgot to mention they’d just be taking their place.
never woke
Just a lot of jealous Angel haters. This is a B. S. lawsuit. You can’t trust that group from the DR.
Halo11Fan
Haters gotta hate. This is such a no brainer. Until you sign, you are not signed. Anyone who calls out the Angels on this is a nut.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
“That group”.
Oh, why not?
jonbluvin
Jealous of the Angels? Seriously?
MuleorAstroMule
Yep. In the last ten years they’ve had that one playoff series where the Royals swept them in three games and you can’t stand that kind of success.
never woke
A lot of jealous Angels haters here. Grow up and think. You can’t trust the d.r.
Manfred’s playing with the balls
Everyone is jealous of the angels. Must be all the winning
User 2079935927
No . But. a couple of players every team would like to have.
gary55wv
Maybe the pros should be hands off with children. It’s ridiculous. How much did those 2 kids just let up thinking they had made it?
DarkSide830
They reneged on a verbal agreement? EVIL!
El Chupacabra
I’m wondering how a Dominican court has jurisdiction over a U. S. baseball team.
jdgoat
Ya that’ll be interesting
bulldog1891
I think they are allowed to file in DR if the alleged verbal agreement physically occurred in DR. Not saying this is fact. Not saying I agree with that being allowed. Just saying I think it is how this is allowed to go forward.
smuzqwpdmx
If the Angels want to shut down their DSL teams and send their scouts home and never do business in the Dominican Republic again, then they can refuse to pay the judgement. It’d only mean fielding a perpetually non-competitive team, so no real change.
66TheNumberOfTheBest
Imagine defending this crooked system instead of just having a draft…like every other real sport.
BmoreBallistics
That’s what a vast majority of big companies do…. Cheaper labor… why we all have smart phones n flat screen tv so cheap. Business 101… profit margins baby
dodgerfan83
MLB would love a draft. Dominican MLB Players don’t, because then they lose all the money the teams are pouring into developing these players. DR would take a substantial hit to the economy if all the teams pulled even just some of their staff out ,
knolln
Would it be crazy that the baseball churning business is not on the up and up?
dirkg
“Fañas, perhaps unsurprisingly, ultimately inked a $1.5MM bonus with the Mets, where Eppler is now GM.”
Sooooo, where’s the issue here? Eppler wanted a player, but gets canned. Now with different financials, different system, yet still drafted the kid.
This smells like several DR officials trying to cash in on the Angels negative PR cycle.
No contract, no case.
Codeeg
This really just goes to show you should have the paperwork ready before mentioning any offer.
kellin
Haters definitely gonna hate. If this happened to another team, I’d say the same thing… something that’s basically already been said. 99% certain all the teams do this, and its not as if the two kids aren’t currently playing for another team and got paid already. Bad lawsuit
HalosHeavenJJ
The hits just keep on comin’!
I was so stoked to see Arte buy the team. Veteran, self made businessman, loves the game, sat down with us normal folks in Spring Training, even lowered beer prices.
We can add this scandal to the litany of reasons I’ll be happy to see him go.
No, Arte didn’t personally make these agreements. But he hired the guys who did. Just like he hired the people who worked on the stadium deal, and so many other bad decisions.
Arte is loyal to a fault. Carpino and Kuhl are examples 1 and 1A of that but largely escape the limelight.
Jason29
These guys have a slugging percentage to match their age. Both of them have sub 300 slugging in they’re short minor-league careers.
5toolMVP
YT video description mentions “Angels backed out of the deal without just cause.”
Would being found to be under signing age (under 16) be just cause to cancel any verbal agreement?
Maybe the team was led to believe they were 16 at time of verbal or by the time of written agreement but it was discovered they were younger than they led on.
mlbtrsks
Minors can indeed enter into a contractual relationship; for instance, when they make a retail purchase, but the higher the amount of “consideration” (usually money), the more likely they will be able to repudiate the agreement. Because of the obvious disadvantage of their age, minors are allowed to cancel an agreement, but contracts with significant responsibilities and/or consideration, a Power of Attorney is usually given to a parent or guardian to act on behalf of the minor.
Mercenary.Freddie.Freeman
My first thought on this was another team doing shady signings with the international players. This is why a international draft is way past due. But if you are the Braves organization you get the hammer from MLB for this sort of stuff.
notagain27
Smoothed over form of Human Trafficking. You have adults playing with the lives of children for money. For most kids, it is the only hope for a life without poverty. Parents willing signing their children over to things we in the states wouldn’t dream of doing. I don’t know the answer but the current system has been flawed for years and we have continued to look the other way. Very sad.
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This thread really went off the deep end. I’m out.
oneiblnd
Did you get it in writing?
Sealbeach Comber
Same few posters here making excuses for Moreno. I sure hope that he is able to sell the team soon. It would be a win-win. He gets his huge profit despite turning a major market team into joke. And we get rid of him and have a shot at getting competent ownership that feels some responsibility to the community.
..
yetipro
As a result, MLB will strip the Braves of their next 4 first round picks & they won’t be able to sign any international prospects for more than $2,000 for the next 7 years.
yetipro
+ no All-Star Game in Atlanta in 2043.
thickiedon
Scouting director forgot to add, “Psych!!”
prov356
Yeah, this is stupid. This lawsuit is going to hurt kids in the future because teams will no longer engage in meaningful conversations for prospective signings. They are both playing baseball. There’s no point.
Domingo111
The whole system with the verbal agreement with 15 year olds is terrible, that is borderline child trafficking especially with the “buscons” which are essentially pimps.
Imo get an international draft so there are no pre arrangements with minors.
Also ideally raise the signing age to age 18 or alternatively make teams providing to those kids a HS education after they already signed.
The system is super bad for the kids, they are essentially made to drop out of school and it is not uncommon that after a couple minor league years an international kid is released broke and without a full school education so his chances in later life are reduced big time. That system is paying some kids big bucks but exploiting the majority of them and setting them up for failure.
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Domingo1111111, Let’s just raise the signing age to 18 like you said. Then we are dealing with legal adults at least. Also, require them to have a HS Diploma. That seems fair. Not gonna be easy to function everyday as an MLB player if you can’t spell your first name or have some conception of the monetary value of the contract offered to you. Finishing high school will ensure that no doubt. Back to basics.
Domingo111
I agree, albeit they certainly can spell as they did went to school until age 15-16 or so we shouldn’t spread stuff like latin players can’t spell.
But still a lack of education is a disadvantage of latin players who not only drop out of school at 16 but usually focus less on school and more on training since they are like 13-14.
So ideally they get to make their HS diploma and also get some support for a college education after they are done playing as 90% of them won’t make it.
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Nobody is saying latin players can’t spell….Take it easy amigo…Nobody is trying to offend the DR or it’s people…You mentioned how most don’t finish high school..I took spelling tests in every high school english class I had. 9th through 12th. I assure you that high school indeed teaches you to spell…Plenty of 19yr olds in High school as well in case you didn’t know..I’m a little perturbed by you being so defensive. Nobody is belittling the players or “spreading” falsehoods about their intelligence so you can relax…Don’t cancel me K?
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Maybe the parents have their kids priorities mixed up…School first baseball later. They have it backwards perhaps….Don’t hedge everything on a pro career and bash the process at the same time. Finish school young lads. Read and read…And then read some more…
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Domingo, by the way, are the “buscons” the guys that take a cut of the players signing bonus? Not much info out there about that stuff…I recall seeing a movie/documentary a few years back about Miguel Sano being signed and that was the first time I had heard about some of these guys taking a cut of the signing bonus. 30% or something exorbitant like that right?
Domingo111
Yes they are getting a good chunk of the signing bonus.
To be fair they also provide equipment, coaching/training and sometimes even food to the kids but of course that is still a rather unfair dependency of the young kids abusing the poverty of the families who wouldn’t be able to afford that stuff otherwise
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I hear whay you are saying. MLB DOES need to make things more equitable. They need to sow before they reap…I’m glad to hear they(buscons) pay for equipment and meals etc…But yes, I think the % of the signing bonus is a bit much. Baseball cannot be the only hope though. It is too narrow of a path to put all of ones eggs in one basket. I don’t know what the framework or particulars of an international draft might be but I would hope that it would address crucial issues such as the ones you have mentioned.
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It kills me than ANYONE in the world has to go hungry Domingo. I have been there myself. Better days now fortunately. Even sadder when it is kids/aspiring athletes and ballplayers. If MLB is going to stake out a permanent scouting smorgasbord in the DR then they better start investing in the communitu.
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**the **community
Domingo111
Sorry didn’t mean to cancel you, lack of education in Latin players is a big issue and often leads to them not making great financial decisions with their signing bonus.
I was just a little triggered by the wording “can’t spell their first name” even though it probably was meant hyperbolic.
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Of course I was being somewhat facetious/hyperbolic but sheesh…It’s the people that you know are being true jerks and mean spirited that you gotta take to task. Jose Mota is my FAVORITE announcer in the world and maybe the greatest baseball mind I’ve ever come across. I do NOT think it is OK for MLB teams to just have a free for all and just poach anyone anytime they want in the DR…I get annoyed that so many scholarship players that play sports do not get their degrees. But truly, you can’t just expect your agent to do right by you without being able to cross check him. How about reading contracts? Verifying what your agent tells you is factual? Education always comes first. Mlb should already have a program in place to help ANY player with their studies, diploma etc…I am wayy more on your side than you think my man.
BmoreBallistics
The system is in place to create jobs. In that world agents do not want you to be educated or financially literate. Then the agent serves no purpose and their agency goes bye bye. Along with then pr “teams” goes bye bye. And so on…
bravesfan
They can’t win while losing ….
Isn’t that how the saying goes lol!!! I may have altered it just a tad
rememberthecoop
Meanwhile, Donald Trump is requesting an injunction.
Gk_holiday
Thanks Dipoto.
mlbtrsks
The article is in need of clarification; “verbal” refers to both oral and written. The issue in this case is oral vs written and Dominican law is no different than U.S. law regarding oral contracts as literally millions are completed every day at retail establishments, garage sales, flea markets and even vehicle purchases. All the necessary ingredients exist and if we have a receipt, we have proof of consideration, usually in the form of money. A contract isn’t finalized until consideration is received, so in this instance the dispute is over a promise to pay in lieu of something of value (consideration). If the contract in question was written, it would include a Promissory Note, but credible witness to an oral promise will suffice and the plaintiffs apparently have it in the form of a video.