標籤: plea

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.

READ MORE: MLB Power Rankings Week 6, see where the Padres are placed

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.

Matt Johnson is the senior NFL and college football editor for Sportsknot. His work including the weekly NFL and college… More about Matt Johnson

Former WWE Superstar Shotzi Blackheart has reached out to the public for help locating his missing brother, Dino. The former main roster and NXT star took to social media to share a distressing update regarding his sibling’s whereabouts in the San Francisco area.

According to the post, Dino’s vehicle was found crashed near Fort Mason and the Marina district, but he has not been seen since driving away from the scene. The situation is especially serious because Shotzi said her brother is currently undergoing dialysis treatment and may be confused or disoriented.

Security footage from the area confirmed that Dino exited the vehicle after the collision, but his current location and physical condition remain unknown. Shotzi said he is “not himself” due to his ongoing medical needs, increasing the family’s concern for his immediate safety.

“My brother Dino is missing. His car was found crashed near Fort Mason/Marina District – San Francisco, and security footage shows him later walking away from the vehicle. He may be confused or disoriented. He is currently undergoing dialysis and is not himself, so we are very concerned for his safety,” Shotzi shared.

The family is requesting that anyone in the San Francisco area with information regarding Dino’s whereabouts contact authorities immediately. Specifically, the post directs individuals to reach Detective Smith at 415-561-5146. Shotzi encouraged his followers and the wrestling community to share the information widely to increase the chances of safe recovery.

Since the post was published, members of the wrestling world from WWE, AEW and the independent circuit have rallied to support Shotzi by sharing his message. Following her departure from WWE, she has worked for several different promotions, including finding success as a member of the MLW roster and being one of the top acts in their women’s division.