The Tiburones de La Guaira, a year removed from winning the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami, have added a top prospect in right-hander Jairo Iriarte.
According to Venezuelan media outlet Meridiano.net, Iriarte, who made six appearances with the Chicago White Sox in 2024 and is the No. 17-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline, participated in workouts with the team at Estadio Universitario in Caracas.
“I’m in good health, thank God. I’ll probably be back with the team soon. I’ve already received permission (from the Chicago White Sox), and there are just a few restrictions the team is putting in place,” the pitcher said in an interview posted on the Tiburones’ Instagram account.
Iriarte threw 46 innings in 35 appearances with Triple-A Charlotte this summer, posting a 7.24 ERA with 48 strikeouts and 37 walks. In six MLB appearances in 2024, he threw six innings with six strikeouts and eight walks, allowing three runs on three hits for a 1.50 ERA. He originally signed with the San Diego Padres for $75,000 and came to the White Sox in a March 2024 trade that sent Dylan Cease to San Diego. He has a mid-90s fastball complemented by a slider and a changeup.
La Guaira opens the season on Oct. 16 at the Aguilas del Zulia in Maracaibo.
Gabriel Noriega Returning to Caracas – Utility infielder Gabriel Noriega is back for his 14th season in the LVBP, returning to the Leones del Caracas for the fourth straight winter.
Noriega rose as high as Triple-A in the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers farm system, and has played the last three summer seasons in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol with Tijuana and Quintana Roo. In 550 career winter ball games with Lara, Aragua, Magallanes, Margarita, and Caracas of the LVBP, Noriega has a .280/..315/.372 batting line with 194 RBIs. He provides versatility around the infield, and will likely see action off the bench in a lineup that will feature former MLBers Wilfredo Tovar and Oswaldo Arcia.
Cesar Izturis Takes Over Cardenales de Lara – Former Major League Cesar Izturis has taken the helm of the Cardenales de Lara, replacing Henry Blanco, who won the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional title with the Redbirds last year. The team also named Giovanni Carrara as pitching coach, Selwyn Langaigne as hitting coach, Robert Pérez as quality control coach, Luis Ugueto as third base coach, Tomás Pérez as first base coach, Yonathan Sivira as assistant hitting coach, Oswald Peraza as bullpen coach, and Jefferson Medina will serve as an advance scout, according to Meridiano.net.
Photo: Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Jairo Iriarte throws during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
