Prospect Josh Thole is playing winter ball in Venezuela. But due to the recent rash of kidnappings, among other things, the Mets may call their young catcher back early.
From the NY Times…
The Mets are consulting with Major League Baseball’s security department and intend to provide Thole, who plays for Leones de Caracas, with all the information to ensure his safety, whether he comes back or remains.
“We’re doing our due diligence regarding the entire situation,” Mets General Manager Omar Minaya said. “We’re looking into it to make sure Josh knows what’s going on and we know that he is safe.”
Though the Mets probably have a good relationship with Venezuela (Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez), the team would be right to play it better-safe-than-sorry. Bring him back to the states early. There’d be no harm in it.