A federal grand jury has launched an investigation into Major L

eague Baseball's international dealings http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey , according to Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan.A full list of those being investigated has not been made public, although Passan reports at least one ex-Atlanta Braves official and people involved in the signing of Cuban phenomHector Olivera have beensubpoenaed.Olivera initially signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on asix-year, $62.5 million dealin May 2015 before being traded to the Atlanta Braves two months later. He made 30 total appearances across the 2015 and 2016 seasons for Atlanta, but didn't appear again for the team after April 2016, when he was arrested following allegations of domestic violence.He was subsequentlysuspendedfor 82 games by MLB and served 10 days in jail after being found guilty on a domestic assault charge in September 2016.Olivera is not currently on an MLB roster.MLB teams have expanded their international presence over the years, with all 30 clubs possessing academies in Latin America. The Dominican Republic, Cuba and Venezuela are among the countries in which organizations scout and look to acquire talent from.Although the international players are not subject to the amateur draft Joe Mauer Jersey , there are rules and limitations teams must adhere to when pursuing a player:Teams are allotted an international signing bonus pool each year and are allowed trade that money. Overspending, however, can result in penalties, such as being limited to a lower amount of international spending money.In November 2017, Major League Baseball came down hard on the Braves for their dealings with international signings. Atlanta lost 13 international prospects and a third-round pick and will have strict limitations on its international spending for a three-year period.Former Braves general manager John Coppolella was placed on MLB's permanently ineligible list, andformer special assistant Gordon Blakeley received a one-year suspension.The league found the Braves to have "circumvented the international signing rules during each of the past three signing periods," perMark Bowman of MLB.com Glen Perkins Jersey , including reporting lowersigning bonuses than had been agreed with players.Passan noted that FBI agents andDepartment of Justice lawyers are involved in the grand jury investigation. So far, multiple people have reportedly agreed to cooperate with authorities. Marlins ended their final homestead on a positive note."Marlins beat Reds in final home gameAs of late, Trevor Richards hasn’t been effective, but he delivered one of his best starts yesterday as the Marlins beat the Reds 6-0. Richards’ final line—7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 9 K—was made possible by an effective changeup. He punched out eight batters with his trademark pitch.Marlins backup catcher Chad Wallach provided the Marlins with a three-run lead on his first career home run.Lewis Brinson and Magneuris Sierra combined to go 4-for-7 with two RBIs.Silver lining to the season The Marlins wrap up 2018 with plenty of roster deficiencies http://www.twinsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-kepler-jersey , but J.T.Realmuto isn’t one of them. Ty Bradley of MLB Trade Rumors notes that his emergence into “the premier backstop in the game” is a positive development, regardless of how the front office approaches this offseason.With contract extension negotiations upcoming, Realmuto is either a long-term building block or a juicy asset to be flipped for several impactful young players.Updated top 10 prospects Photo by Mark Brown/Getty ImagesWriting from a fantasy perspective, Marc Hulet released his updated top Marlins prospects rankings on RotoGraphs. Sandy Alcntara is the headliner. Alcntara is joined by four other pitchers at the top, followed by outfielder and 2018 draftee TristanPompey:Hulet remains skeptical of MonteHarrison’s strikeout potential and kept him off the list.New Fish Bites episodeSteve Mitchell-USA TODAY SportsOur own Aram Leighton sat down with Adam McInturff of 2080 Baseball to discuss the Marlins prospects and his assessment of their minor league system. They focused on top draft picks Connor Scott, OsirisJohnson, and WillBanfield Paul Molitor Jersey , each of whom McInturff got to evaluate up close this past summer. They also revisit the club’s decision to trade Christian Yelich, who’s most likely the NL MVP.Sandy vs. Strasburg, Take 2Sandy Alcntara and Stephen Strasburg face off again in a rematch of last week’s game. Sandy was the losing pitcher on record as he struggled with his control and walked six batters. Strasburg continued his dominance of the Marlins as he struck out 11 batters on the way to a win.This marks the beginning of the Fish’s final road trip of 2018. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.