I wonder if this is something that extends beyond the Pirates and will have implications for other teams as well:
The Pirates have notified their Venezuelan academy that the organization will be terminating its lease and no longer participating in the six-team Venezuelan Summer League. Though the Pirates have not commented publicly on the situation, the instability and political climate in Venezuela is thought to have played a large role in the organization’s decision to pull out.
Lots of good ballplayers in Venezuela. If fewer teams have academies down there, there will be fewer opportunities to discover them.