Roberto Hernandez, who pitched for years for Cleveland 
under the nom de baseball Fausto Carmona, is a step closer to resuming his major-league career. That's because authorities in the Dominican Republic have agreed to drop the false-identity charges against him in exchange for his completing a work program in his native country, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
While Hernandez's agreement with prosecutors makes it more likely that he'll be able to pitch again, hurdles remain. Specifically, as the MLB.com story notes, Hernandez still must acquire a work visa, and then he could be facing a suspension. For the present, though, Hernandez, who's on MLB's restricted list, is not being paid and doesn't count against the Indians' 40-man roster limit.
In October of last year, the Indians exercised Hernandez's $7-million option for 2012, but one would assume that recent events -- particularly the revelation that Hernandez is three years older than was previously believed -- mean the Indians will seek to void Hernandez's pact or renegotiate the terms.
Across six major-league seasons, Hernandez has been wildly inconsistent -- ranging from his fourth-place finish in the Cy Young balloting in 2007 to his 6.32 ERA in 2009. Mostly, a lack of control has been to blame for his struggles. As well, the Indians' thoroughly underrated rotation likely means they'll have the leverage should their deal with Hernandez be subject to renegotiation.
under the nom de baseball Fausto Carmona, is a step closer to resuming his major-league career. That's because authorities in the Dominican Republic have agreed to drop the false-identity charges against him in exchange for his completing a work program in his native country, reports Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. While Hernandez's agreement with prosecutors makes it more likely that he'll be able to pitch again, hurdles remain. Specifically, as the MLB.com story notes, Hernandez still must acquire a work visa, and then he could be facing a suspension. For the present, though, Hernandez, who's on MLB's restricted list, is not being paid and doesn't count against the Indians' 40-man roster limit.
In October of last year, the Indians exercised Hernandez's $7-million option for 2012, but one would assume that recent events -- particularly the revelation that Hernandez is three years older than was previously believed -- mean the Indians will seek to void Hernandez's pact or renegotiate the terms.
Across six major-league seasons, Hernandez has been wildly inconsistent -- ranging from his fourth-place finish in the Cy Young balloting in 2007 to his 6.32 ERA in 2009. Mostly, a lack of control has been to blame for his struggles. As well, the Indians' thoroughly underrated rotation likely means they'll have the leverage should their deal with Hernandez be subject to renegotiation.
