Severino, and the gem of that group Kevin Maitan, aren’t alone though. Miguel Sano was nearing a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009, but questions regarding his age opened the door for the Minnesota Twins to swoop in and get things done.

There are more safeguards now, and there are consequences for falsifying ages. Angel Ozuna is fresh off a year suspension, but it appears that Minnesota will benefit from it.

Angel Ozuna signing with Minnesota Twins

Angel Ozuna, a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic, was hit with a one-year suspension after falsifying his age. Hector Gomez is reporting that he will now be signing with the Minnesota Twins.

There is certainly an incentive to mislead where you are at from both an age and physical perspective when entering the professional ranks. This is a tale as old as time when it comes to international prospects. It’s also why Major League Baseball organizations have pushed for a more regulated draft experience.

Ozuna going from a $5 million bonus to just over $500,000 from the Minnesota Twins is a substantial change. It’s also a stark reminder that falsifying documents carries a level of scrutiny with potential consequences.

Now the Twins will include Ozuna as part of their 2026 international free agent class. He’s older than claimed, but still more talented than plenty of his contemporaries. International signing day is January 15, and Ozuna should be among that contingent.

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The ability to identify top international free agents is a key cog for any franchise in substantiating big league rosters. The Minnesota Twins are not an outlier there, and if anything, the enhanced age of Ozuna will push him towards an upward trajectory on an expedited level.