Venezuelan baseball teams swap players ahead of 2026-2027 season

The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) is gearing up for the 2026-2027 season with a significant player exchange between the Leones del Caracas and Caribes de Anzoátegui. The trade sees veteran infielders Orlando Arcia and Gabriel Noriega move to Caribes, while the Leones acquire promising prospects Josué Briceño, a catcher and first baseman, and pitcher Raimon Gómez.

For the Leones, this transaction represents the initial market activity under their new sports director, Robinson Chirinos. Briceño, 20, is currently playing in Class A+ for the Detroit Tigers' minor league system, where he boasts a .296 batting average with 15 home runs and 57 RBIs in 55 games. Gómez, part of the Baltimore Orioles' rookie complex in Florida, has shown promise with a fastball exceeding 100 mph and has pitched five innings this year, with prior experience in Class A+.

Caribes de Anzoátegui, meanwhile, gains experienced players ready to contribute immediately. Arcia returns to the team where he began his professional career in 2014. He previously played three seasons with Leones and has a .285 career batting average in 131 games with Caribes through 2019. Noriega brings his extensive LVBP experience, having played for multiple teams including Cardenales de Lara, Bravos de Margarita, Tigres de Aragua, and Navegantes del Magallanes before joining Caracas. He averaged .290 with nine home runs in 160 games over four seasons with the capital team.

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We have acquired prospects Josué Briceño (C/1B) and Raimon Gómez (RHP) from Caribes de Anzoátegui. In this trade, Gabriel Noriega (IF) and Orlando Arcia (IF) move to the oriental nine. Welcome to the cave, boys!