Philadelphia Phillies cancel $1.3 million deal with a 13-year-old who was on steroids

Calm down Rojo, take a deep breath.

Did you read your own link? It literally says that it was a "pre-agreement" which is a verbal agreement. They didn't sign him to a deal.

It's pretty simple if you professionalize youth sports, which we have done with things like travel leagues, NIL deals, etc, you're going to get the same incentives to dope that you do in professional sports. Actually, one could argue that the incentive to dope in youth sports is higher than in pro sports because parents pressure the kid to deliver a "return on the investment." It's pretty ironic that everyone is chasing a college scholarship but few realize that they spend as much on travel leagues as the cost of a quality public college education.

And of course the same dynamics exist in running. Seth Clevenger and the NCAA fiasco is but the tip of the iceberg.

The contract isn’t binding so its purpose is only to create goodwill with the kid. It is illegal to sign a contract with a kid at that age, which is why it’s not enforceable.

This is the way it is in a lot of the world outside the US regarding the age. Messi signed and moved practically to the other side of the world, from Argentina to Barcelona, at the age of 13.

The US is a bit different because most popular sports there pretty much require athletes to be physically mature. Even there it is the same though with MLS youth academies having young players.

In many countries, International players can sign on their 16th birthday. Often teams will make verbal commitments to players as young as 12 or 13 (but they don't officially sign until 16). In a country like the Dominican republic, you're basically overlooked as a prospect (and will never play MLB) if you reach your 16th birthday without a deal.

A large number of kids devote their childhood to baseball training. They spend hours every day at baseball academies. It's their way out of poverty. So you can imagine why they would use steroids. I have no idea who is testing these kids. Maybe as a part of some international tournament?

The system is a little different in the US. Players can sign after they graduate high school (with some other exceptions). Bryce harper famously left high school early and played a season of junior college baseball to speed up his draft clock.

Yes, lots of questions. Click the link and there’s no mention of where the kid is from. This is overboard and is not an attempt to protect the kid. It’s to keep from from rolling their eyes at more third world dishonesty. If it were Canada or if (astoundingly and not likely😝) a European country involved pics of the kid would be provided and the nation mentioned prominently. 🤣😂

Do you think the money is in the 13 year old's bank account or the parents?

So how jacked is this kid?

To those who think children aren't doping in High school in the USA - you're kidding yourselves. Who did it? I guarantee probably parents, possibly coach.

According to the story, there have been numerous doping cases of 11 and 12 year olds signed to baseball deals in the Dominican Republic.

IMG coach and players already proved that correct, yes? Or am i mistaken?

Uh oh... Rojo pulling another TUI!

Probably the whole family is doped. It seems normal to them.

Makes ya wonder how many 13 year olds are on EPO. 🧐