Edward Salcedo

EDWARD SALCEDO, THIRD BASEMAN
Born: July 30, 1991
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 210
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Signed: Int’l Free Agent, 2010 (Braves)
How Acquired: Trade with Braves (for Bryton Trepagnier)
Country: Dominican Republic
Agents: N/A

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

Salcedo signed with the Braves out of the Dominican for $1.6M after questions over his age delayed his signing by two years.  Salcedo is athletic and toolsy, but hasn’t developed despite Atlanta pushing him upward every year.  He struggles with the strike zone and, although he runs well, he hasn’t found a position in the field.  He was signed as a shortstop, but quickly moved to third and then moved to right field in mid-2014.  He’s error-prone due to poor hands and impatience.  He does have a strong arm.  The Pirates acquired him for Bryton Trepagnier.

2010
DSL:  297/453/432, 74 AB, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 18 BB, 19 K, 8-9 SB
A:  197/239/295, 193 AB, 5 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 11 BB, 56 K, 6-11 SB

Salcedo had little trouble with the pitching in the DSL, so after 23 games there the Braves moved him all the way up to low A.  He doesn’t seem to have been ready for that level.  He played short almost exclusively at both stops.  He committed 35 errors total in just 72 games at the position.  Baseball America ranked Salcedo 16th in the Braves’ farm system.

2011
A:  248/315/396, 508 AB, 27 2B, 6 3B, 12 HR, 41 BB, 105 K, 23-33 SB

The Braves left Salcedo in low A all year.  He made strides at the plate, showing decent power, but overall didn’t hit well.  He actually declined as the season went along, posting by far his worst month (.505 OPS) in August, with July featuring his second-lowest OPS.  His OBP dropped every month all year.  Salcedo played a little at short, but mostly at third, where he committed 40 errors for a frightful .872 fielding percentage.  BA nevertheless rated him the Braves’ sixth best prospect.

2012
A+:  240/295/412, 471 AB, 26 2B, 2 3B, 17 HR, 33 BB, 130 K, 23-37 SB

In high A, Salcedo showed good power but didn’t make contact enough.  He played exclusively at third, committing 42 errors.  BA dropped him to 17th in the Braves’ system.

2013
AA:  239/304/372, 468 AB, 22 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 44 BB, 111 K, 20-30 SB

Salcedo fell off a bit at the plate in AA.  Still playing third, he had an unsightly .912 fielding percentage.

2014
R:  211/250/579, 19 AB, 1 2B, 2 HR, 1 BB, 2 K, 1-1 SB
AAA:  212/294/357, 364 AB, 21 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 40 BB, 97 K, 13-18 SB

The Braves moved Salcedo up to AAA and he had largely the same season as the year before.  His defensive problems, if anything, worsened, as he posted a dismal .868 fielding percentage at third.  The Braves moved him to right field and the miscues continued, with a .906 fielding percentage.  Salcedo was eligible for the Rule 5 draft after the season and the Braves did not add him to their 40-man roster, but he went unselected.

Salcedo reached AAA at a fairly young age and will play most of 2015 at age 23, so it’s not out of the question that he could turn things around.  The Pirates apparently will give Salcedo a chance to re-establish himself at third, as that’s where he played in spring training.  They’ll move him down to Altoona, which may help him get his bat back on track.  The Curve will also have Eric Wood, so Salcedo may spend time at other positions, and either of the two could DH at times.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2015: Minor league contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: $1,600,000
MiLB Debut: 2010
MLB Debut: N/A
MiLB FA Eligible: 2016
MLB FA Eligible: N/A
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Added to 40-Man: N/A
Options Remaining: 3
MLB Service Time: 0.000
TRANSACTIONS
April 14, 2010: Signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent.
February 5, 2015: Traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Bryton Trepagnier.