UPDATE: Wilson Ramos confirmed to still be alive - MLB

UPDATE: Ben Goessling reports that Venezuelan authorities have confirmed that Wilson Ramos is still alive.

This is not unexpected as kidnapping in Venezuela has traditionally been a financial affair so it’s not necessarily reasonable to expect any harm to come to Ramos. That said: when you kick off a serious crime anything can happen, so it’s good news to hear that Ramos is still safe.

10:31 AM: Still no word from the Wilson Ramos kidnappers, but apparently the vehicle that was used in the kidnapping has been found abandoned an hour away from Ramos’ home.

I fear that any new information in this story will come out in drips and drabs like that all day today. In the meantime, a good Twitter follow for updates is Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. He can be followed here. His latest story on the matter is here.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.