Major League Baseball star José Fernández broke off an engagement for a romance with a new woman just months before his death, new reports say.
The 24-year-old Miami Marlins pitcher is reported to have ended things with cheerleader Carla Mendoza in April before embarking on a relationship with Maria Arias, whom he got pregnant just weeks after they started dating, according to DailyMail.com.
Mendoza's mother, Maria Lourdes Reyes, told the news website Fernández had promised to marry Mendoza back in November, but the couple began to argue. She explained,
She wanted to get married after she graduated from nursing school in May 2017. Jose said his agent didn't him to get married until he got a new contract in two years. He just wanted to wait longer than she was willing to wait. They started to argue quite a bit.
Things between them couldn't be resolved, and in April, the couple called it quits. Reyes added,
She was devastated, and now, she is devastated again.
Arias, 24, came into the picture soon after.
Just one week ago, Fernández posted an Instagram photo of Arias with a growing baby bump. Initial media reports mistook her for his cheerleader ex-girlfriend.
Magaly Junco, who is married to Arias' cousin, said,
He wanted to name the baby girl Penelope. She is due in February and they were living together in his apartment in downtown Miami. They were very excited about having a baby.
Fernández successfully defected from Cuba in 2008 at 15 years old. He spent time in a Cuban prison for three failed attempts prior to the 2008 defection.
Fernández was drafted 11th overall by the Marlins in 2011. In 2013, the right-hander won the Rookie of the Year award, posting a 2.19 ERA in 172.2 innings pitched.
The two-time All-Star's career was marked by a combination of incredible talent and unmatched enthusiasm for the game of baseball.
While injuries kept Fernández the field for most of 2014 and 2015, he returned to the mound in 2016, posting a 2.86 ERA in 182.1 innings pitched.
Fernández's final game was September 20 against the Nationals. He threw eight innings, winning 1-0.
The Marlins are currently 77-78, sitting in third place in the NL East division, 13.5 games out of first place.
Citations: The Daily Mail
