fausto carmona

[Bigben]

Carmona released on bail from Dominican jail



CLEVELAND -- The Indians pitcher known to date as Fausto Carmona has been released from jail on bail in the Dominican Republic, but it is unclear how long it might be before he is able to return to the United States.

The Associated Press reported that Carmona was released on Friday after his arrest one day earlier for using a false identity. It has been reported that the pitcher's actual name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia.

Carmona was arrested on Thursday outside the United States consulate in Santo Domingo while on his way to apply for a visa so he can travel to Arizona for Spring Training. The Indians are currently working to gather more information to determine their next step in response to the situation.

According to the AP report, Carmona was released by Judge Keyla Perez on bail of around $13,000. Carmona was then instructed to check in with prosecutors as Dominican authorities continue to investigate the matter. One allegation is that Carmona is actually 31 years old, not 28, as he has claimed.

The pitcher offered a brief statement as he exited the court Friday.

"I ask for the forgiveness of my fans, the government of the United States and the Cleveland Indians for this situation," he was quoted as saying.

The Indians have yet to issue public comments beyond a statement issued by general manager Chris Antonetti on Thursday.

"We were recently made aware of the situation that occurred [Thursday] in the Dominican Republic," Antonetti said, "and are currently in the process of gathering information. We are not prepared to make any additional comment at this time."

The pitcher's agent, Bean Stringfellow, has yet to return messages left by MLB.com. Agent Jay Alou, who works for the same agency, told the Associated Press on Thursday that the pitcher's representatives were stunned by the news.

"This took us by complete surprise," Alou was quoted as saying. "What we have to do now is wait to find out the process that has to be done with the consulate with this new identity in order to see if he can get a new work visa."

One possible approach for Cleveland would be to place Carmona (under contract for $7 million in 2012) on Major League Baseball's restricted list. Players on the restricted list do not count towards a team's 25-man or 40-man roster, do not receive pay and are not permitted to sign with another club.

That was the route the Marlins took when dealing with a similar situation.

In September, the pitcher formerly known as Leo Nunez was forced to return to the Dominican Republic after it was discovered that he was playing under an assumed name. His real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and he admitted to using false documents in order to sign a professional contract.

Oviedo remains on the restricted list and the pitcher is still sorting through visa issues, even though he has cooperated with investigators. The Marlins signed Oviedo to a $6 million contract to avoid arbitration on Tuesday, but the club does not have to pay the pitcher until he is back in the United States and off the restricted list.

Right now, it is not known if the Indians would simply be able to void Carmona's contract, or if the club would go down that route if allowed. It is also not clear how Carmona's predicament might impact his availability for Spring Training (pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on Feb. 19) or the regular season.

Carmona's birth date has been listed as Dec. 7, 1983, which would have made him 17 years old when he signed with the Indians as a non-drafted free agent in 2000. It is possible that Carmona was actually as old as 20 when he first pitched in Cleveland's farm system.

The right-handed sinkerballer broke in with the Indians as a reliever in 2006, and he finished fourth in the American League Cy Young balloting after going 19-8 with a 3.06 ERA in the 2007 campaign. He's been erratic over the last few seasons, notching a 33-48 record and a 5.01 ERA in 111 starts between 2008 and 2011.

Last season, the pitcher went 7-15 with a 5.25 ERA in 32 starts after beginning the year as the Indians' Opening Day starter. Heading into the 2012 season, he projected to work within the Nos. 3-5 slots in the rotation.

The Indians hold club options on his contract for 2013 and 2014.

[Bigben]

lets see how indians management handles this hot potato.