2024 Caribbean Series Preview: Venezuela

[Noah Berger]

We're taking team-by-team looks at each Serie del Caribe participant, how they stack up against the rest of the competition, and what connections they have to the Marlins.

With LoanDepot Park hosting the Caribbean Series beginning this Thursday, Fish On First will be introducing you to all seven participating teams.

Last but not least: Venezuela.

 

Venezuela's Roster

For the first time since 1986, the Tiburones de La Guaira are the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) champions and get the chance to represent Venezuela in the first Caribbean Series ever to be played in an MLB ballpark. Unfortunately, due to issues obtaining US Entry Visas for most of the Tiburones roster, the tournament roster looks nothing like the team that won the league championship to earn this spot. Of the 26 players on the roster and in Miami, only 15 were on the Tiburones de La Guaira. (The roster lists 28 players, but there are two players who have not made it to Miami for undisclosed reasons. Both were on the Tiburones.)

 

Marlins Connections

There were supposed to be at least seven Marlins connections on this roster, but after the visa issues and travel problems, we lost the opportunity to watch Harold Ramirez play some games at LoanDepot Park again. We'll have to settle for just four Marlins connections.

First on our list is LHP Elvis Araujo, whom the Marlins signed as a free agent to a minor league contract in 2019. He played one season with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before being released. Before his time with the Marlins, Elvis pitched in 72 major league games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015 and 2016.

RHP Jorgan Cavanerio first broke into professional baseball when the Marlins signed him to a minor league contract in 2011. He spent eight seasons bouncing around the Marlins minor league system before electing free agency after the 2018 season. 

C Francisco Arcia spent one season of his long and winding journey through professional baseball in the Marlins organization. He was signed by the Marlins and invited to 2016 Spring Training, sent down to the New Orleans Zephyrs, moved to the Jacksonville Suns, sent back to the Zephyrs, and elected free agency at the end of the season. 

Rounding off the list of Marlins connections is none other than the manager of the Tiburones de La Guaira, Ozzie Guillen. After playing shortstop for 16 seasons in the big leagues, mostly with the Chicago White Sox, Ozzie managed the same team from 2004-2011, winning the World Series in 2005. In 2012, he took his talents to Little Havana to manage the new-look Miami Marlins in their first season in a brand new ballpark with a roster full of talented players. You all know what happened after that. We won't relive that pain here.

 

Other Notable Players

RHP Silvino Bracho boasts a career 4.80 ERA in 101.4 IP in the major leagues. 

Veteran RHP Jhoulys Chacin has been pitching in big league games since 2009. He has pitched for seven different teams, thrown a total of 1,435 ⅔ innings, has 1151 career strikeouts, and a career WHIP of 1.34. 

C Wilson Ramos has caught 990 games for seven different team at the big league level. He last played for Cleveland in 2021. 

C Luis Torrens' major league career has followed an interesting path. He started in the Yankees minor league system, was claimed off waivers by the Reds in 2016, traded to the Padres in the same year, and made his debut with the Padres in 2017. After that, he was part of a blockbuster trade to the Mariners that sent RHP Andres Munoz, Torrens, LF Taylor Trammell, and 3B Ty France to Seattle in exchange for RHP Austin Adams, C Austin Nola, and RHP Dan Altavilla in 2020. To this date, his career reads as follows: Mariners to the Cubs, to the Orioles, to the Nationals, back to the Mariners, and now he's back with the Yankees heading into 2024. 

SS Alcides Escobar played for three teams throughout a 13-year major league career. He was last seen with the Washington Nationals in 2022. 

CF Odubel Herrera had an on-again-off-again relationship with the Philadelphia Phillies, playing for them from 2015 to 2019, got suspended for the 2020 season, and got re-signed by the Phillies for 2021 and 2022.

OF Yasiel Puig boasts a career OPS of .823 in seven seasons at the big league level. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers before heading to Cincinnati and then Cleveland in two trades within six months of each other. He last played in the big leagues in 2019. 

 

Serie del Caribe Schedule

• February 1 @ Dominican Republic, 8:30 p.m.
• February 3 @ Curacao, 10:30 a.m.
• February 4 vs. Puerto Rico, 3:30 p.m.
• February 5 @ Mexico, 3:30 p.m.
• February 6 vs. Panama, 8:30 p.m.
• February 7 vs. Nicaragua, 8:30 p.m.

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