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Days After Police Search, Top MLB Team’s 4th Highest Paid International Player Arrested in Shocking Case

Published 06/02/2023, 9:12 AM EDT

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Josefrailin Alcantara has been arrested. On May 18th, the former Chicago Cubs prospect reportedly killed a man over money arguments in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Alcantara allegedly shot the 26-year-old man, identified as Darwin Díaz Valerio, twice before fleeing the scene. The argument took place inside a car and the MLB prospect also hurt his hand. But apparently, he received medical treatment for the same and then vanished into thin air.

The Dominican Republic National Police searched for Alcantara after finding evidence of gunshots and blood inside the car. The 18-year-old, who signed with the Cubs in January 2022, also had a cousin sitting in the backseat of the gray Hyundai Sonata. While the cousin was arrested, there had been no sign of the actual perpetrator for days. Exactly two weeks after the crime reportedly took place, Alcantara turned himself in to the police.

MLB prospect Josefrailin Alcantara has turned himself in to the Dominican Republic National Police

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Hector Gomez first reported the news on Twitter. After weeks of search by the authorities, Alcantara turned himself in to the Santiago police. The baseball prospect, who had signed with a $500,000 bonus with the Cubs, once received praise for his athleticism. Playing as an outfielder, Alcantara had the fourth-highest signing bonus among the 30 international players the organization signed last year.

The 18-year-old had already been serving a suspension for breaking club rules when he allegedly shot his friend. The Chicago Cubs, naturally, immediately let Alcantara go.

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“We were made aware of a death investigation involving one of our former minor-league players, who was away from the team due to a suspension and has been subsequently released following notification by authorities in the Dominican Republic. We cannot provide further comment until we have additional details,” the team later told the Chicago Tribune.

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This isn’t the first criminal case involving a Chicago Cubs player

In March 2021, Colorado authorities arrested Jesus Camargo-Corrales for drug trafficking. Camargo-Corrales was playing for the South Bend Cubs at the time of his arrest. A native of Sinaloa, Mexico, the 25-year-old was living in Tempe, Arizona, while he played for the Chicago Cubs-affiliated organization.

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The pitcher was found carrying 21 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of fentanyl pills, according to The Aspen Times. After initially pleading not guilty, Camargo-Corrales admitted to one of his six drug felonies and was given a 14-year prison sentence.

While the Cubs have signed some good players, their current troubles seem to be never-ending.

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Written by:

Arunima Bhanot

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Arunima Bhanot is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. Her tryst with MLB was accidental, but what followed was nothing short of a pursuit of excellence. Arunima's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks on multiple occasions, highlighting her exceptional attention to detail and insightful coverage.
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