Fernando Tatis Sr. has been on the job in Caracas for all of two days, and he’s already made the loudest move of Venezuela’s winter ball offseason. The new Tiburones de La Guaira manager wants his son in a Sharks uniform — and he said so out loud.
«He has to come, of course he does. We’re going to extend the invitation for him to come visit his dad. I’d love to put a uniform on him,» Tatis Sr. said on September 26, in a video posted by the team’s official account.
The timing makes it more than just a feel-good quote. Fernando Tatis Jr. is finishing the 2026 MLB season with a .286 average, 23 home runs, 78 RBI, 35 stolen bases and an .816 OPS in 150 games with the San Diego Padres. He’s healthy, he’s productive, and depending on how October shakes out, he could be available right when the LVBP flips the switch.
A New Chapter for a Struggling Franchise
Tatis Sr. landed in Venezuela on the night of Wednesday, September 24, and took over the team the following day. Official workouts for the 2026-2027 LVBP season are set to begin Monday, September 28, at Estadio Universitario in Caracas.
His arrival is part of a bigger rebuild. Club president Wilmer Ruperti announced him back in April 2026 as the centerpiece of a turnaround effort. La Guaira finished the 2025-2026 season 27-29, seventh out of eight teams, missing the postseason for the second straight year.
Tatis Sr. brings real credentials: two Manager of the Year awards in Dominican baseball and a title with the Estrellas Orientales in the LIDOM. But this is his first time managing in Venezuela — the Sharks are his LVBP debut.
Why This Conversation Is Even Possible
Tatis Jr.’s 2026 season didn’t start the way anyone hoped. He went 55 games without a home run — the second-longest such drought in MLB history for a player with 40 or more career home runs. His first long ball finally came on May 30 against the Colorado Rockies.
From that point on, the season turned around completely. His final line — .286, 23 HR, 78 RBI, 35 SB, .816 OPS — is what makes his dad’s invitation land with weight instead of wishful thinking.
If he does play in the LVBP, he’d be the highest-profile player to appear in the Venezuelan league since Ronald Acuña Jr.
An Invitation, Not a Contract
Venezuelan and Dominican outlets reported roughly three weeks ago that La Guaira was actively pursuing Tatis Jr. and that he had expressed interest. Tatis Sr.’s comments on Saturday give that rumor an official voice — but it’s still an invitation, not a signed deal.
The calendar helps. MLB’s regular season wraps up at the end of September. If the Padres don’t advance in the National League Wild Card race, Tatis Jr. would be free right as the LVBP gets going.
The Sharks have the motive: two straight years out of the postseason, a new manager with something to prove, and a franchise that could use a marquee name. The final call, of course, belongs to Tatis Jr.
