In the hours since U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro in a pre-dawn raid Saturday, officials across the landscape of Major League Baseball have scrambled to check on the safety of players, coaches and scouts throughout the country, while trying to understand how the raid and its aftermath might affect the upcoming baseball season and World Baseball Classic.
Those within baseball were still gathering information on Monday, but interviews with executives, scouts and agents suggested a tenuous status quo in a country marked by unsteady relations with the United States for many years. After a four-day layoff, the Venezuelan Winter League was scheduled to resume play on Wednesday. Despite initial concerns, international scouting directors are hopeful about conducting the signing day for amateur prospects on Jan. 15. Venezuela is still expected to take part in the WBC in March.
A spokesperson for Major League Baseball declined to comment on the situation in Venezuela. The MLB office has maintained dialogue with teams since President Donald Trump tagged Venezuela with a travel ban last year, according to team and league sources. After the Federal Aviation Administration implemented flight restrictions across Caribbean airspace over the weekend, multiple executives — who, like all of the sources who spoke to The Athletic, requested anonymity in order to speak freely about the situation — expressed relief Monday that the restrictions were quickly removed, allowing players and coaches to leave the country in time for spring training next month.
As MLB officials recommended that teams say little publicly about the situation, according to sources, multiple players contacted by The Athletic were also wary of commenting on Maduro’s ouster. The current version of stability could be temporary. Trump has claimed the United States will “run” the country, and told The Atlantic that if new leader Delcy Rodriguez “doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since downplayed some of the president’s comments.
Given the uncertainty, conversations with baseball officials revealed lingering unease about a nation that plays a vital role in the sport’s tapestry. There were 63 Venezuelans spread across big-league rosters on last year’s Opening Day, a total eclipsed only by the Dominican Republic among foreign countries. Some of the most prominent players in the sport, including nine-time All-Star Jose Altuve, 2023 National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and rising star Jackson Chourio, call the country home.
MLB officials have paid increased attention to the country since Trump issued the travel ban last June. In August, a youth team from Venezuela was denied entry into the United States for a tournament in South Carolina. The process to admit Venezuela into the Little League World Series required players and team officials to travel to Colombia for visa interviews, along with assistance from Sen. David McCormick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, and a personal sign-off from Rubio. In December, the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation opted to move its wintertime championship tournament from Venezuela to Guadalajara, Mexico. Then came Saturday’s pre-dawn raid on Caracas, with Maduro and his wife detained and taken to New York to stand trial on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy.
For many working within front offices, the weekend was spent sending texts and making calls. Boston Red Sox officials said they verified the whereabouts of a contingent that included outfielder Wilyer Abreu, first baseman Willson Contreras and catcher Carlos Narváez. Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez traded messages with team officials, who also contacted third baseman Maikel Garcia and infield coach José Alguacil. “We’ve confirmed everybody’s fine,” general manager J.J. Picollo said on a conference call with reporters on Monday. “Everybody’s healthy, not harmed, families are fine.”
MLB officials have paid increased attention to Venezuela since U.S. President Donald Trump issued the travel ban last June. (Eric Espada / Getty Images)
Houston Astros manager Joe Espada checked in with Altuve and bench coach Omar Lopez, who was managing in the Dominican Winter League. Altuve, the most decorated active Venezuelan player, has been in Houston this winter, Espada said. Lopez will manage his country’s team when the WBC returns in March. The Venezuelans are part of a pool that includes the Dominican Republic, Israel, the Netherlands and Nicaragua, and they will play at LoanDepot Park in Miami.
“The only thing that I’m going to say is this: We’re not bad people,” Lopez said during an interview at the Winter Meetings last month. “We’re good people. We’re noble. We’re humble people. Just let us be happy. That’s all.”
— Sam Blum, Denny Alfonso, Chad Jennings, Chandler Rome, Cody Stavenhagen and Katie Woo contributed reporting.