FARGO — The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks have signed a player who received a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball for betting on games, including his own team.
The RedHawks added infielder Tucupita Marcano to their American Association roster for the 2026 season, they announced Thursday, Oct. 18.
“He’s very remorseful,” said RedHawks President and CEO Brad Thom. “As long as you follow the straight and narrow when you’re with us. … We take any of that stuff seriously.”
Marcano was
placed on MLB’s permanently ineligible list
on June 4, 2024, for violating the leagues sports betting rules and policies. He placed 387 baseball bets, including 231 MLB-related, through a legal sports book from 2022-23. His bets were generally parlays, according to an MLB release.
He was banned from MLB and Minor League Baseball, but allowed to play in other professional leagues including the American Association.
The 26-year-old Marcano was with the Padres at the time of his suspension, but place bets on Pittsburgh Pirates games while his was in the Pittsburgh organization. Marcano did not play in any of the games in which he placed bets as he was sidelined due to a knee injury.
Baseball
columnist Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported
in June of 2024 that Marcano lost 96% of his bets.
“Though it isn’t as bad as it seems since he bet parlays, it certainly shows no special advantage, or even knowledge,” Heyman wrote. “Sources say he lost money.”
Marcano, from Venezuela, played for the Padres and Pirates from 2021-23, appearing in 149 MLB games. The 6-foot, 170-pound Marcano bats left-handed and hit .217 in his MLB games. His pro career started in 2017 in the Padres organization.
He most recently played in the Venezuelan Winter League in 2024-25. Thom said former RedHawks infielder Manny Boscan and F-M catcher Juan Fernandez both know Marcano.
“These guys speak extremely highly of (Marcano),” Thom said. “They would never do anything to hurt our brand or the team at all.”
Thom said like with any player, they will expect Marcano to adhere the team’s code of conduct parameters.
“We’re excited to have him and we want what’s best for him,” Thom said. “We hope if everything works out that eventually he will be able to get reinstated into MLB.”
Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.
