Here's a weird one. Pirates outfielder Xavier Paul, who's known for ... well, nothing really, is apparently the victim of an identity scam designed to get another player, former minor leaguer Breland Brown, a spot in the Australian Baseball League.
↵↵↵Multiple sources have confirmed that Paul's participation was promised by another player, determined to be Minor League outfielder Breland Brown, who most recently played in the D-backs' farm system. According to one source, who described the scheme as so intricate that it was "like a movie," Brown created fake IDs and misrepresented himself to the ABL and Major League Baseball.
↵Posing as an agent, Brown offered the ABL a deal in which Paul would agree to play in Australia this offseason if Brown was also invited. The ABL accepted the agreement. Brown was assigned to play with the Sydney Blue Sox, while Paul was put on the Brisbane Bandits roster.
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Wow. Well, I guess if you're going to fake a player's identity, it should be that of someone like Paul, who's obscure enough that no one in the states is really going to notice. Someone like Paul could be playing in Australia this winter, after all. He just isn't.
↵By the way, this is probably the last time any team will accept 'We'll get you Xavier Paul' as a reason to take on a player they don't want.