RLakin
All Star
By ED PRICE
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)
CHICAGO -- Alleged improprieties surrounding the signing of one of the Arizona Diamondbacks' top prospects, uncovered by ESPN, might not result in any penalty against the team.
The issue concerns right-hander Adriano Rosario, a former member of the South Bend Silver Hawks who is now pitching at Class AA El Paso. The allegations involve Ivan Noboa -- who is a "buscone," or independent developer of talent in the Dominican Republic, and is the brother of Junior Noboa, the Diamondbacks' director of Latin American operations.
This case is an example of the subculture of questionable deals sometimes made with Spanish-speaking baseball prospects.
Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. strongly denied the Diamondbacks, including Junior Noboa, had knowledge of Ivan Noboa's actions.
"I have the utmost confidence and trust in Junior," Garagiola said. "I do not believe we did anything wrong."
Rosario's signing is not currently the subject of an investigation by Major League Baseball.
"I am troubled by this case, this situation," Sandy Alderson, MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, said Thursday on ESPN's "Outside the Lines."
"On the other hand, it hasn't been brought to us for interpretation or determination."
That could change, of course, and it is conceivable action could be taken by agent Scott Boras, who began representing Rosario this year.
"I am talking with Joe about the matter," Boras said. "It's something we're going to attempt to resolve in the next week."
The Diamondbacks are conducting an internal investigation.
Arizona signed Rosario for $500,000 in June 2002. Of that, $100,000 went to Ivan Noboa. At the time it was within the rules to make a direct payment to a buscone, with 20 percent apparently being a typical fee. (That rule has since been changed, a move the Diamondbacks supported.)
According to those familiar with the issue, Rosario paid Ivan Noboa a fee of 25 percent of the remaining $400,000 he received. Rosario's claim is that Noboa didn't disclose the $100,000 he had already been paid by the Diamondbacks, and thus came away with $200,000.
The Diamondbacks' stance is that they did not know about that second cut Ivan Noboa took from the $400,000.
Noboa told ESPN.com he had informed Rosario of the additional $100,000 payment when he advised the pitcher to take the Diamondbacks' offer.
"Of course," Noboa said. "All these negotiations take place with knowledge of that."
In addition, a source said the Los Angeles Dodgers claim to have made a $750,000 offer, about which Ivan Noboa may not have informed Rosario.
If Junior Noboa conspired with his brother to keep the Dodgers' offer from Rosario and arrange the double payment -- which the Diamondbacks deny -- that would seemingly be a violation of MLB rules, or possibly even fraud.
If Ivan Noboa had taken a 25 percent share of the Dodgers' offered bonus, it would have been $187,500.
According to ESPN.com, a Dodgers official said Ivan asked for side payments but the club preferred to include extra money in Rosario's signing bonus and let the player and his agent work it out.
Jeff Schugel, then the Dodgers' special assistant for international scouting, said on the day the Dodgers expected to sign Rosario, they received a call from Ivan Noboa saying that the pitcher was going with Arizona and that no counteroffers would be considered.
The Dodgers, angered by this, banned Ivan Noboa from the team's Dominican academy, Schugel told ESPN.com.
Junior Noboa, who is well-known and widely respected in the Dominican Republic, has been a valuable person in the Diamondbacks organization since 1996. He helped the team sign and develop such players as Jose Valverde, Vicente Padilla and outfield prospect Luis Terrero.
When the Dodgers were found in 1999 to have violated MLB rules by signing infielder Adrian Beltre -- also represented by Boras -- before he turned 16, they wound up negotiating a three-year, $5 million contract with Beltre to prevent him from filing an appeal that may have resulted in his being declared a free agent.
The team was also fined $50,000 and banned from scouting any Dominican players for one year.
Since there is no MLB investigation of the Rosario matter at this time, such a scenario currently does not seem likely, although Boras is known to go to great lengths for his clients.
"It's possible, based on what we learn through this broadcast, that we will take a look at this situation," Alderson said on "Outside the Lines."
"But, again, while we are concerned about particular cases, we are also as concerned -- or more concerned -- about creating the appropriate structure and environment in the Dominican Republic where these cases are minimized."
Before this season, Baseball America magazine named Rosario the No. 5 prospect in the Arizona organization.
After going 9-5 with a 2.86 ERA last year for Class A South Bend, Rosario was eighth in the Dominican Winter League in ERA. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training this year and impressed the major league staff with his stuff.
Some in the game doubt his listed age of 18 (with a birthday on May 16), although the team and Boras say it is legitimate.
East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)
CHICAGO -- Alleged improprieties surrounding the signing of one of the Arizona Diamondbacks' top prospects, uncovered by ESPN, might not result in any penalty against the team.
The issue concerns right-hander Adriano Rosario, a former member of the South Bend Silver Hawks who is now pitching at Class AA El Paso. The allegations involve Ivan Noboa -- who is a "buscone," or independent developer of talent in the Dominican Republic, and is the brother of Junior Noboa, the Diamondbacks' director of Latin American operations.
This case is an example of the subculture of questionable deals sometimes made with Spanish-speaking baseball prospects.
Arizona general manager Joe Garagiola Jr. strongly denied the Diamondbacks, including Junior Noboa, had knowledge of Ivan Noboa's actions.
"I have the utmost confidence and trust in Junior," Garagiola said. "I do not believe we did anything wrong."
Rosario's signing is not currently the subject of an investigation by Major League Baseball.
"I am troubled by this case, this situation," Sandy Alderson, MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations, said Thursday on ESPN's "Outside the Lines."
"On the other hand, it hasn't been brought to us for interpretation or determination."
That could change, of course, and it is conceivable action could be taken by agent Scott Boras, who began representing Rosario this year.
"I am talking with Joe about the matter," Boras said. "It's something we're going to attempt to resolve in the next week."
The Diamondbacks are conducting an internal investigation.
Arizona signed Rosario for $500,000 in June 2002. Of that, $100,000 went to Ivan Noboa. At the time it was within the rules to make a direct payment to a buscone, with 20 percent apparently being a typical fee. (That rule has since been changed, a move the Diamondbacks supported.)
According to those familiar with the issue, Rosario paid Ivan Noboa a fee of 25 percent of the remaining $400,000 he received. Rosario's claim is that Noboa didn't disclose the $100,000 he had already been paid by the Diamondbacks, and thus came away with $200,000.
The Diamondbacks' stance is that they did not know about that second cut Ivan Noboa took from the $400,000.
Noboa told ESPN.com he had informed Rosario of the additional $100,000 payment when he advised the pitcher to take the Diamondbacks' offer.
"Of course," Noboa said. "All these negotiations take place with knowledge of that."
In addition, a source said the Los Angeles Dodgers claim to have made a $750,000 offer, about which Ivan Noboa may not have informed Rosario.
If Junior Noboa conspired with his brother to keep the Dodgers' offer from Rosario and arrange the double payment -- which the Diamondbacks deny -- that would seemingly be a violation of MLB rules, or possibly even fraud.
If Ivan Noboa had taken a 25 percent share of the Dodgers' offered bonus, it would have been $187,500.
According to ESPN.com, a Dodgers official said Ivan asked for side payments but the club preferred to include extra money in Rosario's signing bonus and let the player and his agent work it out.
Jeff Schugel, then the Dodgers' special assistant for international scouting, said on the day the Dodgers expected to sign Rosario, they received a call from Ivan Noboa saying that the pitcher was going with Arizona and that no counteroffers would be considered.
The Dodgers, angered by this, banned Ivan Noboa from the team's Dominican academy, Schugel told ESPN.com.
Junior Noboa, who is well-known and widely respected in the Dominican Republic, has been a valuable person in the Diamondbacks organization since 1996. He helped the team sign and develop such players as Jose Valverde, Vicente Padilla and outfield prospect Luis Terrero.
When the Dodgers were found in 1999 to have violated MLB rules by signing infielder Adrian Beltre -- also represented by Boras -- before he turned 16, they wound up negotiating a three-year, $5 million contract with Beltre to prevent him from filing an appeal that may have resulted in his being declared a free agent.
The team was also fined $50,000 and banned from scouting any Dominican players for one year.
Since there is no MLB investigation of the Rosario matter at this time, such a scenario currently does not seem likely, although Boras is known to go to great lengths for his clients.
"It's possible, based on what we learn through this broadcast, that we will take a look at this situation," Alderson said on "Outside the Lines."
"But, again, while we are concerned about particular cases, we are also as concerned -- or more concerned -- about creating the appropriate structure and environment in the Dominican Republic where these cases are minimized."
Before this season, Baseball America magazine named Rosario the No. 5 prospect in the Arizona organization.
After going 9-5 with a 2.86 ERA last year for Class A South Bend, Rosario was eighth in the Dominican Winter League in ERA. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training this year and impressed the major league staff with his stuff.
Some in the game doubt his listed age of 18 (with a birthday on May 16), although the team and Boras say it is legitimate.
