Although details remain vague, Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos is apparently safe after being kidnapped in Venezuela on Wednesday night, according to a series of tweets from Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.

Kilgore’s first report was vague but promising, a retweet of Ramos’ family friend: “Family friend of Wilson Ramos says he has appeared. RT@Marfamata Wilson apareció!!”

But Kilgore quickly got confirmation from a much more specific source: “From Gustavo Mercado [sic], Wilson Ramos’s agent: The Minister Interior informed the family 10 minutes ago he is safe. ‘They got him.’”

And, a minute later: “Wilson Ramos’s agent is with the family. Could hear ‘Wil-son! Wil-son’ in the background. ‘It’s a special moment for his family.’”

UPDATE: Kilgore later corrected the name of Ramos’ agent to Gustavo Marcano.

There is still remarkably little news emerging from the kidnapping of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos in his native Venezuela.  Scattered details of the abduction have started to appear, but there has been no reported word from the kidnappers, and no announced ransom request.

When that ransom request does arrive, though, the Washington Post’s Nationals Journal reports, it is likely to be in the neighborhood of $10 to $20 million dollars.  The Post’s Juan Forero is on the ground in Venezuela and spoke to an expert on local crime from a think-tank in Caracas:

He said with a big target like Ramos, a ballplayer who earned $415,000 in 2011, the culprits are likely to be part of a criminal organization, rather than a fly-by-night team. If they do make contact with the family, Cedeno said, it will likely not be to demand a dead-drop location but rather to give instructions in the first stage of a complex operation in which money is deposited in foreign accounts.

“Ten to 20 million dollars in this case,” he said. “That is what I would expect.”

Ramos’s family waits with police for any contact from the kindappers, the Post reports.

There haven’t been many details about the kidnapping of Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos beyond the initial reports and a confirmation that he is, in fact, alive.  But a report (in Spanish) on El Universal seems to paint a slightly more in-depth picture of Ramos’s kidnapping.

Zac Boyer of the Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.) tweeted a partial translation, writing “Might be a bit rusty here, but it appears Wilson Ramos was signing autographs, playing baseball with kids when taken”.

Translated using Google Translate, the story explains:

Many details have emerged during the last hours of the kidnapping of the player of the Tigres de Aragua. One of the most dramatic is that just at the time of the criminal action had just signed the autograph was a small birthday present.

Two trucks passed by the scene; Ramos and his family retreated; then, according to the translated report, the trucks returned:

This time, two men with their faces uncovered got out of a Chevrolet Captiva 2007, orange. They hanged the player Aragua Tigers with his arm and placed a Glock pistol 9m.m. in his head.

Ramos has been playing with the Tigres de Aragua during MLB’s offseason.

Recent developments out of Caracas, Venezuela in Washington Nationals rookie catcher Wilson Ramos kidnapping case claim police have found the kidnappers’ vehicle abandoned in a nearby town, AP reports.

It is believed that the 24-year-old catcher was taken from his home in the now abandoned SUV by four armed men.

“The abductors haven’t made contact with the family or with anyone,” said Domingo Alvarez, vice president of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League, in a telephone interview with members of the Associated Press. “We’re worried.”

Ramos had returned to his native Venezuela in the offseason. Many Hispanic MLB baseball players return to their homeland to play in the winter league.

The Washington Post reports the Venezuelan Winter league president Jose Grasso told a Venezuelan television station the league will continue to play its season despite the recent kidnapping. Several other Nationals players, including Venezuelan natives Jesus Flores, Henry Rodriguez and Sandy Leon are committed to play in the winter league.

In Venezuela, kidnappings of wealthy individuals have been on the rise, with 618 incidents reported last year alone.