Baseball holds a central place in the culture of the Dominican Republic, a nation that sends more players to American major and minor leagues than any country outside the United States. With a population roughly the size of Ohio, the Dominican Republic accounted for about 10% of all players in the major leagues last year, with 144 players reaching the big leagues. For nearly 50 years, it has been the top producer of international baseball talent, including Hall of Famers like Pedro Martínez and Adrian Beltré. The Dominican baseball system is built on volume, with teams offering signing bonuses to around 450 young prospects each year. However, only a small fraction of these players—less than 10%—will ever reach the major leagues. The bonuses, which can be several times the average annual income in the country, are often life-changing for players and their families. Yet, the system has come under scrutiny for favoring trainers and predatory lenders over the young athletes they represent. Trainers in the Dominican Republic coach children in exchange for a share of their future signing bonuses. Players often choose the highest bidder, and after Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts recognized the country as a source of affordable talent, teams established training academies. Over time, buscones—individuals who identify local talent—began running their own academies. Now, with hundreds of such facilities and around 6,000 trainers, the system has become a significant economic force. Trainers typically receive between 35% and 50% of a player’s signing bonus, and from 2012 through early 2026, MLB teams paid $1.042 billion in bonuses to Dominican prospects, with up to half a billion dollars reportedly going to trainers and lenders. MLB teams often make informal, handshake agreements with underage players to bypass league rules that prohibit official deals with those under 16. These unwritten contracts, known as preacuerdos, are usually arranged through a player’s trainer. Some players as young as 11 are involved in these deals, and it can take years before they receive their bonuses. This has led to a growing industry of prestamistas, or high-interest lenders, who target families by offering loans in exchange for portions of these future bonuses. With the Dominican Republic having no legal limits on interest rates, these lenders operate with little oversight. One high-profile example involved Belfi Rivera, who signed a handshake deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks at age 14, promising a $1.8 million bonus when he turned 16. The trainer who facilitated the deal received $630,000, and over $950,000 went to Santo Caraballo, a lender who partnered with Red Sox legend David Ortiz. Ortiz later claimed he ended his personal and business relationship with Caraballo after noticing “inappropriate” behavior. Caraballo’s involvement in the baseball world began with a controversial 2020 car crash involving Pittsburgh Pirates’ prospect Oneil Cruz, which led to a settlement with victims’ families and the dismissal of charges against Cruz. Despite these issues, MLB has taken limited action to reform the system. A spokesperson for the league declined to comment, referring to past calls for reform. Former Dominican baseball commissioner Piñao Ortiz criticized MLB for knowing the system’s flaws but failing to act, saying, “Major League Baseball knows how dirty the business is here, but it’s not doing anything to stop it.” Meanwhile, Ortiz’s financial interests in the current system may influence his opposition to an international draft, a proposal supported by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.