Last August, the Giants were buzzing about their No. 16 prospect, who looked just about ready to make his MLB debut. Jesús Rodríguez, acquired from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval trade, had landed on the Giants’ 40-man roster. He was riding high after putting up an eye-catching .306 career batting average in the minors!
But in just a few months, everything unraveled.
Amid the latest political and military tensions between the United States and Venezuela, Rodríguez, a native of Caracas, publicly appealed to U.S. President Donald Trump. With travel restrictions looming, his future, along with that of other Venezuelan players, has been thrown into uncertainty. Thus, putting not only his MLB hopes at risk but also his chance to represent Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
“I hope it really is for the best, not only for the players, but for everyone. But someone who is in this world, who has seen so many things. Hopefully, this can help improve the relationship between Venezuela and the United States, and everyone can achieve their goals… I hope that future baseball players, the children, never lose that desire to make it to the major leagues, that desire for the country to improve, for the country to do well,” Rodríguez said in an exclusive interview with The Athletic.
Notably, Venezuela ranks third in MLB player representation, behind only the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. As of Opening Day 2025, there were 63 Venezuelan-born players on big-league rosters. That’s why the travel ban following the military intervention in Venezuela has sent shockwaves through MLB.
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Big-name stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and José Altuve, both of Venezuelan origin, are currently away from the league.
Back home, the Venezuelan Winter League playoffs were in full swing when play was suddenly suspended after the early-morning attack on Jan. 3. The league later announced the postseason would resume on Wednesday, Jan. 7, after a four-day pause.
The disruption also affected others in the region, including many of the league’s Dominican players, with weekend flight suspensions adding to the chaos.
According to Rodríguez, the winter league is crucial. It’s often the only stage local players have to showcase themselves and earn opportunities in MLB. So, with the league’s future uncertain, those hopes are now hanging in the balance for many young talents.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Venezuela’s participation in the upcoming WBC is also clouded, even though the country is still expected to compete in March. Hence, with Venezuelan baseball facing so much uncertainty on multiple fronts, Rodríguez has called for calm. He urged all sides to ease tensions and help bring things back to normal.
MLB is initiating actions that count
The MLB office has stayed in close contact with teams ever since Venezuela was under a travel ban last year, according to league and team sources. Some organizations are better positioned than others to deal with the situation. They are reportedly supporting their personnel who are still in Venezuela.
Well, the timing is especially tricky with the international signing period set to open on January 15. Amateur players, mostly from Latin American countries like Venezuela, are set to sign their first pro contracts. So, in some cases, MLB teams have already moved those prospects to the Dominican Republic or the U.S., where they’re staying at team complexes.
But for others, those young players are still in Venezuela and could have a hard time getting out.
For now, MLB hasn’t made any public statements on the issue. Behind the scenes, though, teams are handling things on their own.
They’re taking individual steps to make sure their Venezuelan players and prospects remain safe back home.