TORONTO -- Pitching prospect Pasqual Coco was released by the Toronto Blue Jays after reports that he stole money from teammate Diegomar Markwell's locker.

Coco was cut because he was in violation of his player contract, Blue Jays spokesman Jay Stenhouse said Monday. He would not address specifics of the newspaper reports.

"He broke team rules," Stenhouse said.

The Toronto Star and Toronto Sun reported Sunday that Coco was released Friday following the theft. The pitcher shared an apartment with Markwell in spring training and the two played together in Toronto's minor league system.

The money was returned to Markwell and no criminal charges have been filed.

Coco told the Star there was a "good reason" he took the money and he "apologized to everybody for what I did."

"I felt bad because it's my roommate and I've known him for seven years," Markwell told the Star. "I didn't think that he was the one who did that to me. But people make mistakes."

Coco had a contract that would have paid him $300,000 if he made the major league roster and $60,000 if he were in the minors. He was on the team's 40-man roster and was expected to start the season at Triple-A Syracuse.

Last spring, the New York Yankees released outfielder Ruben Rivera after he took a bat and glove from Derek Jeter's locker and sold the items to a memorabilia dealer.