Edward Salcedo

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #31 prospect in 2015
  The Braves have pushed Salcedo every season since he signed for $1.6 million in 2010. Along the way he has shown flashes of brilliance but no consistency. He also has not found a permanent defensive home. Signed as a shortstop, Salcedo moved to third base in 2011 but continued to demonstrate hard hands and a lack of rhythm for an infielder. He moved to right field at Triple-A Gwinnett in June 2014 and experienced the expected difficulties in reading the ball off the bat and taking the proper routes. He has good all-around athleticism and plus arm strength, which give him a chance to be at least an average defender in right field. At the plate, the aggressive Salcedo does not have a good feel for the strike zone and chases breaking balls and pitches up in the zone. On the positive side, he has above-average bat speed that generates plus raw power and does a good job of running the bases. After playing in the Arizona Fall League, Salcedo was not added to the Braves' 40-man roster but went unselected in the Rule 5 draft. He'll return to Gwinnett in 2015 to see if he can turn his tools into production.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #12 prospect in 2014
  The Braves have been aggressive in promoting Salcedo since signing him for $1.6 million in 2010 after he missed nearly two years due to an age discrepancy. His performance has yet to match his prodigious tools, however. Still raw in many aspects of the game, Salcedo showed signs of settling in at third base last year after moving from shortstop at the beginning of the 2011 campaign. He has fringe-average hands but a strong, accurate arm and good range. He also moves his feet well and can make the spectacular play when he does not rush, but his lack of consistency contributed to an SL-high 29 errors. Salcedo's aggressiveness also is evident at the plate, where he has made improvements with his pitch selection, even though he continues to fall victim to breaking balls. He has plus power potential and the bat speed to catch up to good fastballs. He's an average runner and aggressive basestealer. The Braves point out Salcedo's tools, work ethic and relative youth and believe he is on the verge of a breakout season in 2014. Spring training will determine whether he starts back in Mississippi or graduates to Triple-A Gwinnett.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #17 prospect in 2013
  The Braves knew Salcedo was raw when they signed him for $1.6 million in 2010, their largest bonus ever for an international amateur, yet they still have moved him aggressively through the system. In part that's because he lost more than two years of playing time while Major League Baseball investigated his age and identity after he first surfaced as a prospect on the international market in 2007. He didn't post great numbers in a season and a half in low Class A, but he got promoted anyway in 2012 and struggled both offensively and defensively. Salcedo generates impressive raw power with his quick swing, but his approach needs work after showing signs of improvement in 2011. He gets anxious and his lack of patience results in high-strikeout totals. Salcedo moved to third base from shortstop in 2011 and continued to struggle there last year with 42 errors, the third-highest total in the minor leagues. He has hard hands and makes bad throws while forcing too many plays. He has above-average arm strength that would play well on an outfield corner, where many scouts believe he would fit best. He has below-average speed and is too aggressive on the bases. Atlanta would like to push him to Double-A in 2013, but he may be better served by repeating high Class A.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #6 prospect in 2012
  Salcedo was a hot prospect on the international market in 2007, but he lost two years while MLB investigated his identity and birthdate. He finally signed for in February 2010 for $1.6 million, a franchise record for a foreign amateur. He has spent most of his career struggling at low Class A Rome, but he has shown improvement and his natural ability has begun to emerge. Salcedo has above-average power potential, thanks to his quick bat and smooth stroke. Tremendously raw when he signed, he showed a more advanced approach and greater knowledge of the strike zone in 2011. He's a below-average runner, so his move from shortstop to third base was inevitable. Salcedo has the arm strength and agility for the hot corner, but he makes too many errors (40 in 100 games at third) by trying to force plays. Scouts are mixed on whether he should remain on the dirt or move to an outfield corner. Salcedo could move faster now that he has started to build a solid foundation. He'll move up to high Class A in 2012 and could reach Double-A Mississippi in the second half, though he doesn't figure to be big league-ready before 2014.
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  Ranked Atlanta Braves #16 prospect in 2011
  Salcedo emerged as one of the hottest prospects on the international market in the summer of 2007, but he didn't sign until last February because of an extended investigation into his age by Major League Baseball. The Braves signed him for $1.6 million, the largest they've ever given to a foreign amateur. Having lost its 2010 first round pick as compensation for signing free agent Billy Wagner, Atlanta regarded Salcedo as a fine substitute. He made a positive impression in spring training and during the early portion of the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League season before making a big jump to low Class A. Physically advanced for his age, Salcedo generates excellent bat speed and can put the barrel on the ball, though he had difficulty against pitchers who were skilled at setting up hitters. He has above-average speed and the potential to develop above-average power. Salcedo has a strong arm, but his defense needs more polish than some expected, due in part to his lack of playing time over the previous two years. His hands aren't particularly soft, and while his range is good, he tries to force too many plays. Add in his big frame, and Salcedo may have to move to third base eventually. His raw tools, especially on offense, make him an intriguing prospect. He should return to Rome to open 2011, with an in-season promotion to Lynchburg a possibility.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Southern League #19 prospect in 2013
  Over the course of the past three seasons Salcedo has hit .243/.305/.393 over nearly 1,600 plate appearances while navigating from low Class A in 2011 to Double-A this season. Scouts, however, see a player with strong defensive chops, one of the strongest worth ethics in the SL and tremendous raw power that would profile on the hot corner if he can improve his pitch selection. ?Here?s a kid who works his butt off,? said the NL scout. ?His swing gets a little long at times, and he gets fooled on breaking balls, but it?s only a matter of consistency, because you can see the improvements.? Salcedo improved his ability to grind out at-bats this season with a career-high walk rate, though pitchers with quality breaking stuff still give him fits. He hit just .222/.296/.335 against righthanders this season, though 20 home runs are well within reach if he can swing the count in his favor more often. Salcedo moves his feet well on defense and possesses a cannon arm with plus accuracy and carry. He has improved his play-making efficiency each season since 2011, when he shifted from shortstop, and this season cut his error total to 29 (.912 fielding percentage) while recording more assists per game (2.00) than any SL third baseman except Jackson?s Ramon Morla.
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  Ranked Carolina League #14 prospect in 2012
  Salcedo has tremendous raw power that should only increase as he gets stronger. However, he's overly aggressive at the plate, swinging for the fences on every pitch, and struggles to recognize offspeed offerings. He has been equally tantalizing and frustrating in the field. Salcedo has the arm strength and hands to stick at third base, but his lack of focus and poor footwork led to him committing a league-high 42 errors at third base. While he runs well for his size and did top CL third basemen in putouts (79) and assists (265), a move to the outfield could be in his future. Lynchburg manager Luis Salazar believes more playing time and improved concentration is what Salcedo needs most. "A couple of years from now, he will be a very solid player," Salazar said. "He needs to slow down a little bit and play under control. When he does that, he is a hell of a third baseman."

• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background:: Salcedo was a hot prospect on the international market in 2007, but he couldn't sign for two years while Major League Baseball investigated his identity and birthdate. He finally signed for in February 2010 for $1.6 million, a franchise record for a foreign amateur. He has spent a season and a half struggling at low Class A Rome, but he has shown improvement and his natural ability has started to emerge. Scouting Report: Salcedo has above-average power potential, thanks to his quick bat and smooth stroke. Tremendously raw when he signed, he showed a more advanced approach and greater knowledge of the strike zone in 2011. He's a below-average runner, so his move from shortstop to third base was inevitable. Salcedo has the arm strength and agility for the hot corner, but he makes too many errors (40 in 100 games at third) by trying to force plays. Scouts are mixed on whether he should remain on the dirt or move to an outfield corner. The Future: After opening 2010 in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League and spending the end of '10 and all of 2011 in Rome, Salcedo could move faster now that he has started to build a solid foundation. He'll move up to high Class A in 2012, though he doesn't figure to be big league ready before 2014.