Franklin Barreto will be unable to report to Oakland Athletics camp on time because of the volatile situation in his native country.
Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Sunday that the A’s infielder will not be in camp when position players report on Feb. 15 due to “major visa delays” stemming from Venezuela’s current political upheaval. The South American nation has been thrust into chaos with the presidential power struggle between incumbent head of state Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Slussers adds that the team is hopeful that Barreto will arrive by Feb. 17. A’s reliever Yusmeiro Petit also hails from Venezuela but now resides in Florida during the offseason and will be able to report to camp on time.
The 22-year-old Barreto hit .233 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 32 games for Oakland in 2018. In recent years, we also saw the turmoil in Venezuela directly affecting one big-name MLB star.
