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San Diego Padres prospect Humberto Cruz has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to transporting an undocumented immigrant, making deportation highly likely. At just 19 years old, Cruz was considered one of the top arms in the Padres' minor league system.
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Many of the San Diego Padresâ top prospects have been traded away in recent years, draining their farm system. Itâs now taken another hit following the reported deportation of one of the clubâs top arms in the minor leagues.
Alex Riggins of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that minor-league pitcher Humberto Cruz plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge involving transporting a person into the United States and itâs a âvirtual certaintyâ that he will be deported.
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Cruz, who is 19 years old, is widely regarded as one of the Padresâ top prospects in 2026. MLB Pipeline rated the 6-foot-1 righty as the fifth-best player in San Diegoâs farm system. FanGraphs noted that Cruz was âone of the best armsâ last summer in the ACL, and he had the upside to develop into a mid-rotation starter for the club.
In 2024, the Padres signed Cruz and he received a $750,000 bonus as part of the agreement. He was part of the clubâs haul in international free agency that was headlined by Leo De Vries, who was traded last summer to the Sacramento Athletics for All-Star closer Mason Miller.
Cruz hadnât pitched yet this season after undergoing elbow surgery in August, having an internal brace procedure to repair a UCL tear in his pitching arm. The recovery timeline had him slated to miss the entire 2026 MILB season.
Humberto Cruz pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge involving transporting a person into the United States.
Cruz's deportation will further deplete the Padres' already weakened farm system, as he was regarded as one of their top pitching prospects.
Cruz was rated as the fifth-best player in the Padres' farm system by MLB Pipeline and was noted for his potential as a mid-rotation starter.
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As reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Cruz pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving money in exchange for transporting noncitizen immigrants within the United States.
As a non-U.S. citizen who worked in the country under a visa as part of the Padresâ organization, Cruz is expected to be deported. Ahead of the guilty plea, the team had placed him on the restricted list.
The Padres, according to the report, are of the understanding that Cruz wonât be permitted a work visa for the United States for the next 10 years. However, he would have an opportunity to reapply for one after five years.
On October 28 in Arizona near the U.S.-Mexico border, Border Patrol agents reportedly noticed an SUV with a single occupant headed toward the border. Not long after, it was spotted coming back with two additional passengers.
Upon being pulled over, Cruz told agents that he was aware the occupants in his car were undocumented and he was told he would be paid $1,000 for each person he transported.
If the five-year timeline holds, Cruz will be 24 years old by the time he is first eligible to return to the United States. Given the long layoff from pitching in organized baseball, itâs likely that his time with an MLB club is over.
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