Many of the San Diego Padres' top prospects have been traded in recent years, draining their farm system. Now it has suffered another blow after the alleged relegation of one of the top branches of the club in the smaller leagues.
Alex Riggins's San Diego Union-Tribune Minor-league pitcher Humberto Cruz has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to transporting a man to the United States and it is a "virtual certainty" he will be deported, reports say.
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Cruz, who is 19, is widely considered one of the Padres' top prospects in 2026. MLB Pipeline ranks the 6-foot-1 standout as the fifth-best player in San Diego's farm system. FanGraphs noted that Cruz was "one of the best arms" with an ACL tear last summer, and he had a good chance to develop into a mid-rotation starter for the club.
In 2024, the Padres signed Cruz and he received a $750,000 signing bonus as part of the deal. He was part of the club's run in international free agency, headlined by Leo De Vries, who was traded to the Sacramento Athletics for All-Star closer Mason Miller last summer.
Cruz had not pitched yet this season after undergoing elbow surgery in August and undergoing an internal brace procedure to repair a UCL tear in his pitching arm. The recovery timeline caused him to miss the entire 2026 MiLB season.
Details on Humberto Cruz's guilty plea, expected deportation
Cruz pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving money in exchange for the transportation of noncitizen immigrants within the United States, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
As a non-U.S. citizen who worked in the country under a visa as part of the Padres organization, Cruz is expected to be deported. Before the guilty plea, the team had placed him on the restricted list.
According to the report, the Padres understand that Cruz will not be allowed a work visa to the United States for the next 10 years. However, he or she will have the opportunity to apply again after five years.
On October 28, in Arizona near the US-Mexico border, Border Patrol agents reportedly saw an SUV headed toward the border with only one person inside. Shortly afterwards, it was seen returning with two additional passengers.
When captured, Cruz told agents that he knew the people in his car had no documents and that he was told he would be paid $1,000 to transport each person.
If the five-year timeline is held, Cruz will be 24 when he is eligible to return to the United States for the first time. Given the long layoff from pitching in organized baseball, it is likely that his time with an MLB club has come to an end.
