Overview
- Cruz, a top San Diego Padres pitching prospect, self-deported to Mexico after a misdemeanor plea, with multiple outlets reporting Monday that he is already back in Mexico.
- The plea deal dropped a felony charge of transporting immigrants for profit and left a guilty plea to accessory after the fact with a 30-day sentence credited as time served.
- The Padres placed him on the minor-league restricted list in March 2026, which pauses his pay and bars access to team facilities while he is unavailable to report.
- Agents arrested him on October 28, 2025, near Lukeville, Arizona, after finding two Mexican nationals in his car, and he told investigators he answered a social media ad offering about $1,000 per person.
- Signed in February 2024 for a $750,000 bonus and ranked among the club’s top prospects, he also had Tommy John surgery in August 2025 that already sidelined him for the 2026 season.