▁the ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁season . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Miguel ▁San ó ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁San ▁Pedro ▁de ▁Mac or ís , ▁Domin ican ▁Republic , ▁to ▁a ▁poor ▁H ait ian ▁and ▁C oc olo ▁family . ▁He ▁chose ▁to ▁play ▁baseball ▁with ▁the ▁name ▁San ó , ▁his ▁mother ’ s ▁family ▁name , ▁rather ▁than ▁his ▁father ' s , ▁which ▁is ▁Jean , ▁out ▁of ▁respect ▁to ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic . ▁He ▁was ▁discovered ▁at ▁a ▁young ▁age , ▁and ▁worked ▁with ▁sc outs ▁to ▁develop ▁his ▁talent . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁conducted ▁an ▁age ▁investigation , ▁a ▁pr ere quis ite ▁for ▁every ▁player ▁signed ▁in ▁Latin ▁America , ▁that ▁confirmed ▁San ó ’ s ▁identity ▁but ▁could ▁not ▁verify ▁his ▁exact ▁age . ▁San ó ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁old , ▁but ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁rum ors ▁in ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁older . ▁Tw ins ▁then - general ▁manager ▁Bill ▁Smith ▁said , ▁" San ó ’ s ▁age ▁and ▁identity ▁have ▁probably ▁been ▁scr ut in ized ▁more ▁than ▁any ▁player ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Domin ican ▁Republic ," ▁and ▁the ▁issues ▁and ▁difficulties ▁involved ▁caused ▁San ó ▁to ▁lower ▁his ▁asking ▁price ▁from ▁the ▁$ 5 – 6 ▁million ▁bonus ▁he ▁was ▁seeking ▁when ▁the ▁international ▁signing ▁period ▁first ▁opened . ▁ ▁The ▁Pitts burgh ▁Pir ates ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁team ▁to ▁offer ▁San ó ▁a