One of the strangest stories of the offseason just got a bit more bizarre, as Major League Baseball will reportedly not approve Jairo Beras' contract with the Texas Rangers:
Sources expect MLB will not approve the reported Jairo Beras contract with Texas.
— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) March 3, 2012
Front office personnel throughout baseball were reportedly furious when the Rangers agreed to a contract with Beras earlier in the week. The Dominican teenager had been participating in showcases and presenting himself as a 16 year old, which would have made him ineligible to sign a contract until July 2.
Texas thought enough of his talents to give him a near $4.5 million signing bonus, which would not have been possible if they signed Beras in July.
At that time, the new CBA, which limits the amount of money teams can spend on international amateurs, the first step for what many believe will eventually become a worldwide draft, will be in effect. Beras' contract alone far surpasses the new annual limit of $2.9 million.
With his contract reportedly being voided, Beras will likely be suspended for one year from signing a contract with an MLB team for misrepresenting his age. If true, the ultimate victim here isn't the Rangers, but Beras himself.