Rumor: Twins Linked to Highly-Touted, Age-Shifting Dominican Prospect

[Seth Stohs]

Reports came out on Wednesday that the Twins have the inside track on signing Dominican shortstop Angel Ozuna for around $500,000 when the 2026 international signing period begins on January 15, 2026. Normally this wouldn't be huge news. Last year the Twins signed several high-profile international free agents for more than $500,000. But this situation is different than others, and it will be interesting to follow over the coming months. 

Shortstop Angel Ozuna was expected to be one of the top international signings in the Class of 2027, when he turned 16. The Yankees were believed to have an agreement with Ozuna, a product of Los Bauti Baseball Academy, to a signing bonus of at least $5 million.      

However, last year it came out that he had falsified his age and got busted for it. He was three years older than he was claiming. Instead of being a 13-year-old dominating other 13- and 14-year-olds, he was actually a 16-year-old dominating 13-year-olds.   

He should have been a part of the 2024 international signing class, but with this new information, Ozuna was suspended for one year. 

However, it is now being reported, also by Wilber Sanchez, that he has a pre-arranged deal with the Twins to sign for around $500,000. 

What does that mean? Once Ozuna serves his time, he can be signed. However, since he is signing as an 18-year-old rather than a top 16-year-old, he isn't going to get the $5 million. But, he is still a very talented player, he's just not as young as believed. And there is the whole concern about a person who was willing to falsify his age. 

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[The Mad King]

5 million to falsify my age? That's life changing money for a 16 yr old kid in the DR.

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, The Mad King said:

5 million to falsify my age? That's life changing money for a 16 yr old kid in the DR.

Yeah, that angle certainly resonates.  OTOH, think back to when you were 16 - would you give up dating girls your own age without at least a pang of regret?  Meh, maybe I'll give him credit for having extreme focus and self-discipline at such a young age.  😁

[AceWrigley]

These kids have "handlers". Ozuna might not have been the originator of the falsification but went along with it when it came out.

[Joe A. Preusser]

5 million to falsify my age? That's life changing money for a 16 yr old kid in the DR.

 

Dude, that's life changing money for me and I live in one of the richest nations in the world.

[old nurse]

16 hours ago, ashbury said:

Yeah, that angle certainly resonates.  OTOH, think back to when you were 16 - would you give up dating girls your own age without at least a pang of regret?  Meh, maybe I'll give him credit for having extreme focus and self-discipline at such a young age.  😁

My dad thought he was born 2 years after he really was born   The insistence that the government was stupid was changed with the ability to get money 

[TopGunn#22]

I have no doubt the kid has some talent.  But how "talented" he is has to be tempered with the fact he was dominating kids 2-3 years younger.  I'm reminded of the kid named Danny Almonte, a LH pitcher in the Little League World Series years ago from (I think) the Bronx.  He absolutely dominated 11 and 12 year olds and it looked like the Bronx was going to cruise to the Championship until it was discovered that he was 14 years old. 

I'm not aware of what happened to his baseball career after his fame in the Little League World Series.

And I agree with Ace Wrigley, these kids have "handlers" from the moment they show any kind of talent.  It's quite possible he was strong armed, heavily influenced, (whatever you want to call it) by the adults who "handled" him.  

But, in the end, "talent is talent."  Maybe this will work out for the Twins and the kid as well.  

[twinstalker]

1 hour ago, TopGunn#22 said:

I have no doubt the kid has some talent.  But how "talented" he is has to be tempered with the fact he was dominating kids 2-3 years younger.  I'm reminded of the kid named Danny Almonte, a LH pitcher in the Little League World Series years ago from (I think) the Bronx.  He absolutely dominated 11 and 12 year olds and it looked like the Bronx was going to cruise to the Championship until it was discovered that he was 14 years old. 

I'm not aware of what happened to his baseball career after his fame in the Little League World Series.

From memory he got a chance to play ball at a small school, and I don't think even that lasted, as he just wasn't very good (pro-wise).

And that's the first and most important thing I thought of: age matters.  Whatever he did while being scouted means nothing.  I highly doubt he's anything, and for a team crying poor, $500k is a ton to pay for a prima facie too old prospect that has no track record.  The FCL is where you should play as an 18 yr old if you have any chance, and I doubt he's starting there.  Most likely they start him in DOSL, and he struggles there, and it's a waste of money.  Twins system has been reduced to gambling on longshots.  All this with no successful hitting development in the system.

[nicksaviking]

Sigh. I wish ALL the Twins could play against 13-year-olds.

I'd put good money on them getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

[ashbury]

3 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Sigh. I wish ALL the Twins could play against 13-year-olds.

I'd put good money on them getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

Interesting insight about the 2023 Toronto Blue Jays. 😁

[IndyTwinsFan]

4 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Sigh. I wish ALL the Twins could play against 13-year-olds.

I'd put good money on them getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

Maybe.  Maybe not.

[Jacksson]

For $5,000,000 or even $500,000, I'd shave off 50 years of age and say I was 21.

 

[Joe A. Preusser]

For 500K I'll pretend to be whatever age you want.

 

[TNtwins85]

I’ll be more excited to see how he plays against his own age. Not the fact the Yankees were gonna sign him for $5M and the Twins get him for $500K. My question . Is he good? 

[rv78]

So the Twins gamble with a kid that was good against other kids 3 years younger. Nothing has been said how good he is against other kids his same age. Wouldn't that be an interesting part to actually add to this article? I don't hold much hope that this will be a good signing when the Yankees, who had the upper hand from the beginning, are no longer the team with the high bid. 

[jkcarew]

Signing an over-age Dominican on the cheap was on my bingo card. Now if I can just get a 19 year old who dominated fast-pitch softball in Australia…

[bunsen82]

My guess is they have seen him against kids his age and also tested him out. He is worth a gamble and that is about it.  

[jharaldson]

On 11/27/2025 at 10:42 AM, Seth Stohs said:

..........

However, last year it came out that he had falsified his age and got busted for it. He was three years older than he was claiming. Instead of being a 13-year-old dominating other 13- and 14-year-olds, he was actually a 16-year-old dominating 13-year-olds.   

..........

What does that mean? Once Ozuna serves his time, he can be signed. However, since he is signing as an 18-year-old rather than a top 16-year-old, he isn't going to get the $5 million. But, he is still a very talented player, he's just not as young as believed. And there is the whole concern about a person who was willing to falsify his age. 

 

I put some bold accents in the quote above where it seems judgement for the age fraud is being put on Ozuna.  The way I read the above it looks like it is saying that Ozuna did the age falsification and questioned the morals of a person who falsified his age.

I am not a big fan of putting the blame of the age change on a child. His age was falsified for his 16 year old playing year but was likely done prior to that year starting.  Unless we have proof that a 14-16 year old child led the effort to cheat his age and defraud the MLB, I would assume it was either his parents or the academy that did it.

[nicksaviking]

46 minutes ago, jharaldson said:

I put some bold accents in the quote above where it seems judgement for the age fraud is being put on Ozuna.  The way I read the above it looks like it is saying that Ozuna did the age falsification and questioned the morals of a person who falsified his age.

I am not a big fan of putting the blame of the age change on a child. His age was falsified for his 16 year old playing year but was likely done prior to that year starting.  Unless we have proof that a 14-16 year old child led the effort to cheat his age and defraud the MLB, I would assume it was either his parents or the academy that did it.

Yeah, I have teenagers; this is 100% something an adult concocted and executed.

[Yoke]

[gil4]

 

On 11/28/2025 at 8:40 AM, TopGunn#22 said:

I have no doubt the kid has some talent.  But how "talented" he is has to be tempered with the fact he was dominating kids 2-3 years younger.  I'm reminded of the kid named Danny Almonte, a LH pitcher in the Little League World Series years ago from (I think) the Bronx.  He absolutely dominated 11 and 12 year olds and it looked like the Bronx was going to cruise to the Championship until it was discovered that he was 14 years old. 

I'm not aware of what happened to his baseball career after his fame in the Little League World Series. 

 

On 11/28/2025 at 10:08 AM, twinstalker said:

From memory he got a chance to play ball at a small school, and I don't think even that lasted, as he just wasn't very good (pro-wise).

In 2008, the Air Force sent me to Altus, Oklahoma.  The local JUCO team - Western Oklahoma State College - was really good, led by star SS Andrelton Simmons,  They also had a star OF/P combo named Almonte.  I thought, "That can't be THAT Almonte, can it?"  

It was.  He played two years at WOSC and hit nearly .500 both years with a total of 32 HR.   He also pitched, and his W-L record over two years was 16-1.  That's the only stat I have on his pitching (Wikipedia), and it's one stat that can be easy to pad when you're on a regional power that plays pretty variable competition.  

I drove past their field many times, including some when games were going on, but I regret that I never actually went to a game.

[Parfigliano]

On 11/28/2025 at 7:16 PM, Joe A. Preusser said:

For 500K I'll pretend to be whatever age you want.

 

Have I wandered into "Twins Daily...after dark"