"Alleging he agreed to sign with them for $1.5M and they are now just giving him half the money" - In one of the biggest swings for the fences in MLB history, a Texas Rangers prospect is suing the team for $251 million
Normally, prospect deals are fairly straightforward and without complication, but this alleged $1.5 million deal between the Texas Rangers and Fraidel Liriano has stolen the spotlight. The lawsuit filed by Fraidel Liriano alleges that the team agreed to sign him for $1.5 million and they are now only paying half of that amount, or $750,000.
The prospect is seeking $251 million in damages, which is about $250 million more than he was expecting in his contract. This total is likely based on a projection of future earnings and punitive damages for breach of contract.
The lawsuit was reported on Twitter by MLB reporter Hector Gomez.
Dominican Prospect Fraidel Liriano is suing the Texas Rangers for contract breach alleging he agreed to sign with them for $1.5M and they are now just giving him half the money. His lawsuit is pursuing $251M millions in damages, per @mikedeportes. https://t.co/cYNvxwuhZH
"Dominican Prospect Fraidel Liriano is suing the Texas Rangers for contract breach alleging he agreed to sign with them for $1.5M and they are now just giving him half the money. His lawsuit is pursuing $251M millions in damages" - @ Hector Gomez
For perspective, Albert Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Angels. So Fraidel Liriano is seeking damages that are worth three million dollars less than one of the best players of all time.
This is a rare situation for the Texas Rangers and the MLB
Further investigation will result from this lawsuit, and if it is found that the Texas Rangers breached their contract with Fraidel Liriano, they will likely have to pay out some damages, but almost certainly not $251 million. Starting at such a high number may seem absurd to some, but is a very common negotiation tactic that anchors the amount at a high point instead of a low point.
An article on the initial signing of the prospect was also posted to Twitter, indicating that he signed for $1.5 million, seen below.
@hgomez27 @mikedeportes Texas Rangers linked to top international prospect, $1.5MM bonus nolanwritin.com/2020/03/23/tex…
"Texas Rangers linked to top international prospect, $1.5MM bonus" - @ Jarto Ya
The main reaction to this story has been confusion, as illustrated by Dan Renaud on Twitter.
@hgomez27 @mikedeportes Wouldn't the damages be....$750K???
"Wouldn't the damages be....$750K???" - @ Dan Renaud
Highlights from the young prospect can be found below. It is a shame that his MLB career may be in flux as a result of this lawsuit.
It will be fascinating to watch this lawsuit unfold. Fans everywhere are curious to see how Fraidel Liriano's swing for the fences is received around the league and, of course, by the team that thought they had signed a top prospect.