Wilson Ramos Still Alive, According To Venezuelan Police

For the first time since the horrific story broke, there’s a slice of good news in the Wilson Ramos kidnapping. From Rafael Rojas:

VZ Intelligence police confirm Wilson Ramos is still aliveThat was the sum of the update, so there’s no word on whether there has been a ransom demand or anything of that nature. Rojas is a Venezuelan baseball writer -- you can listen to him here on a podcast with Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein -- and he’s been the main source for a lot of the Ramos developments.

The Venezuelan winter leagues have long been a popular offseason destination for teams and players from all over, but it looks like the Ramos abduction might change that. From Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News:

After Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was kidnapped at gunpoint in Venezuela on Wednesday night, the Rangers have begun considering the possibility of taking extra safety steps for their players in the winter league there.Everyone’s first concern is with Ramos, but teams are also reevaluating how they approach their winter ball strategies in the future.