Former MLB infielder Jonathan Schoop will likely miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic following a late-January arrest in Curacao on illegal weapons possession. No formal announcement has been made by the Dutch National Team about their tournament roster (final rosters are released on February 5), but Schoop remains in police custody, according to a report from the Dutch outlet NOS.
Per the report, police searched “several homes on the island” in a coordinated effort on January 29. A total of nine people were arrested in an investigation into illegal arms possession. Authorities seized multiple weapons, ammunition, and other items in the process.
The prosecutor’s office in Curacao said it could not provide additional information at this time because the investigation is ongoing, and authorities have released few details beyond confirming the detentions and seizures, according to Deporte Awe.
Jonathan Schoop’s MLB Career
Jonathan Schoop initially signed with the Baltimore Orioles as an international amateur free agent in 2008, and just three seasons later, he was among the club’s top prospects, even getting an invitation to the All-Star Futures Game. By the 2013 season, he was making his debut in Baltimore.
Schoop spent the first six seasons of his career with the Orioles, mostly playing second base, while batting .261/.296/.450 (100 OPS+) with 126 2B and 106 HR. 2017 marked a career-best season, when he hit .293/.338/.503 (124 OPS+) with 35 2B, 32 HR, and 105 RBI while getting an All-Star nod (he was 1-for-1 with a double and run scored in the game) and even some down-ballot MVP votes.
At the 2018 trade deadline, the Orioles dealt Schoop to the Milwaukee Brewers for infielder Jonathan Villar, right-hander Luis Ortiz, and minor league infielder Jean Carmona.
Schoop finished 2018 with Milwaukee, signed with the Minnesota Twins for 2019, and then spent four years with the Detroit Tigers before his MLB career came to an end. Collectively, he slashed .254/.293/.428 (95 OPS+) with 218 2B and 174 HR.
According to The Athletic, there was no “one size fits all explanation” for Schoop’s drop in production.
“He is a reminder of how fickle this game can be, of how unpredictable player performance remains even in an era of advanced stats,” Cody Stavenhagen wrote in July 2023. “Projection systems before the season liked Schoop as a bounceback candidate after a disappointing ’22, one where Schoop’s 56 wRC+ was among the worst in baseball.”
Jonathan Schoop’s International Impact
Curacao won back-to-back Little League World Series titles in 2003 and 2004. Those teams featured a pair of future MLB players in Schoop and Jurickson Profar. Schoop was considered the better player of the two at the time.
The duo have been teammates several times since with the Dutch National Team.
Schoop played with Team Netherlands in the WBC in 2013, 2017 and 2023, as well as several other international tournaments. His absence from the team’s roster in the upcoming tournament will be noticeable.
Orioles Former All-Star Likely to Miss WBC After Arrest