According to FOX Sports, Agent Charles Hairston—who is related to the baseballing Hairstons—and Culture39 will no longer represent 16-year-old Cuban prospect Lazaro "Lazarito" Armenteros. This is not because of Lazarito, who remains the most prized international prospect out there. It's because Hairston reportedly received death threats from Lazarito's Dominican Republic investor and decided to step aside. Lazarito became eligible to sign with a Major League team on February 10, but the agency wanted to wait until July 2, when international signing and luxury tax rules permitted more teams to spend more on players. The investor, or buscon, wanted Lazarito signed immediately and began obstructing the agency's attempts to get Lazarito in front of clubs.There's a 16-year-old Cuban prospect living in an old house on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Meet Lazarito. pic.twitter.com/hJrArkU32I
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) September 22, 2015
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Details are scarce, but this kid is surrounded by hype—his rare combination of speed and power have drawn comparisons to Willie Mays and Bo Jackson—and the agency has already done a lot of hustling on his behalf, so it's hard to imagine they'd just let him go unless it was something serious.The relationship between the agency and the buscon worsened earlier this month after over 140 scouts and MLB officials attended Lazarito's workout at the Padres' complex in the Dominican Republic. Several teams remain interested in the Cuban phenom, but for now his road to Major League Baseball seems blocked by a man who stands to gain a quarter of his first contract, and would very much rather be paid sooner than later.[FOX Sports]"I feel for the kid. He is truly special. We are still looking forward to working with him when he comes to the United States once his situation is resolved."
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"We already have several sponsorship and major endorsement deals lined up for him, not to mention his own clothing line which we are launching soon. But when his safety and ours is put in jeopardy, we had to think about what is most important in life."