Former MLB pitcher Livan Hernandez files for bankruptcy
Longtime MLB pitcher Livan Hernandez has filed for bankruptcy, according to court documents obtained by the Miami Herald.
Hernandez more than $53 million in 17 major league seasons but wrote in his bankruptcy filing that he is now worth less than $50,000. He owes as much as $1 million to up to 50 creditors, mostly credit card companies. He also owes money in back taxes and $220,000 to a local businessman. The businessman, German Carreno Rodriguez, lent Hernandez the money in 2013 to help him pay bills. Hernandez has not paid back any of the money, according to a lawsuit filed by Rodriguez.
Hernandez has filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy, which, unlike Chapter 7, would allow him to come up with a plan to pay back his creditors.
Hernandez defected from Cuba in 1995 and signed with the Marlins. He made his MLB debut in September 1996 and became a fixture in the Florida rotation in the second half of the 1997 season. He shined in the 1997 postseason, taking home MVP honors in the NLCS and World Series as the Marlins won their first championship.
Hernandez was traded to the Giants two seasons later and spent most of the rest of his career bouncing around the league. He ended up playing for nine different franchises before retiring at age 39.
