Major League Baseball just hit a low-level Cleveland Guardians prospect with a suspension after investigators uncovered some absolutely wild stuff about his age and identity, ESPN reports. This isn’t just a simple mix-up; we’re talking about a full-blown, elaborate scam involving a fake death and even a planted gravesite. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up.
The $2.8 Million Deception Unravels
The Guardians originally snagged a guy known as David Severino back in December of 2025. They thought he was a young teenager, like 13 or 14, coming out of the Dominican Republic. Because of that age, his $2.8 million agreement wasn’t even supposed to be finalized until 2029. But then, in May of this year, the Guardians learned Severino was actually two years older than he claimed. That’s a pretty big deal when you’re talking about player development and how long a team has control. The Guardians straight-up terminated the agreement.
Unbelievable Depths of Deception
Turns out, Severino’s real name is Daury Severino Damaso, and the deception went way deeper than just knocking a couple years off his age. ESPN’s report lays out some truly extreme efforts by his handler to make him appear almost two years younger. We’re talking faked birth certificates, new identities, falsified medical and school records, and even a fraudulent death certificate. Get this: a fake death certificate was filed for Daury in 2012, saying he died of a respiratory illness. He was only two years old at the time. To top it off, they created a fake tombstone and put it in a gravesite in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Sources say the whole thing was cooked up by Francisco Nieves, Severino’s former trainer, and apparently, his parents were in on it too. Luckily, the player never even saw any affiliated game action with the Guardians before the agreement got canned.
Not the Guardians’ First Rodeo
What’s really wild is this isn’t the first time the Guardians have been caught up in this kind of identity scam. Back in 2012, their pitcher Fausto Carmona was trying to renew his visa in the Dominican Republic when it came out that his real name was Roberto Hernández. He, too, was found to be three years older than he had claimed. It’s a harsh reminder of the lengths some will go to in the international prospect market.
This whole thing just highlights the constant battle MLB faces trying to keep things clean in scouting and player acquisition. For the league, it’s about protecting the integrity of the game and making sure the system is fair. This kind of fraud impacts everyone, from teams investing millions to the legitimate young players trying to make their way.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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