That's not to say he was a regrettable signing; he hit .281 in 233 games with the Braves. The Braves signed the young infielder in 1996, but facts came to light early in 2000 that the team had signed a 14-year-old, and league rules prohibit the signing of anyone under the age of 16. As a result, the Braves were slapped with a $100,000 fine and were prohibited from scouting any Dominican players for six months. Betemit even sought legal council in trying to void his contract and become a free agent.
Before this mess happened, Betemit had just completed his third year in rookie ball where he hit .