Salcedo Rushed To Rome

Written by Bill Ballew | 25 August 2010

There's no question the Atlanta Braves are among the best at what they do, which is sign and develop talent in order to compete for championships at the major league level. In fact, in more than two decades of covering the team and more than 40 years of following them, I have seen the Braves commit very few mistakes in terms of making the right decision for players making the proverbial climb along the organizational ladder.

Unfortunately, the Braves pushed too hard this season with shortstop Edward Salcedo. Signed during the early days of spring training for $1.6 million, the largest bonus ever given to an international player by the Atlanta organization, Salcedo went through camp in Florida before spending a month, from late May until late June, in the Dominican Summer League. Comfortable in the surroundings of his homeland, the La Vega native batted .297 and demonstrated his excellent bat speed by posting a .432 slugging percentage and an OPS of .885 in 23 contests. His plate discipline was also impressive, as evidenced by his 18 walks. There were a few concerns, naturally, including his seven errors and 19 strikeouts in 74 at-bats, yet neither number could be deemed excessive.

Where the Braves made their mistake was sending Salcedo to Class A Rome instead of the Gulf Coast League after his stint in the DSL. Had he reported to Orlando, Salcedo would have been able to make a steady adjustment to a new culture while having a support system in place in the form of numerous Spanish-speaking teammates. He also would have been able to compete away from the spotlight in the relative anonymity of the GCL. He could have gradually learned some English and received a little extra care by living in the complex's dormitories.

Instead of easing into the United States and professional baseball in Orlando, Salcedo has struggled in Rome. He initially worked out an agreement with pitcher Steve Figueroa in which Salcedo would foot the bills if Figueroa would drive the shortstop around town and live with him to help make the adjustment to life in the United States easier. Figueroa, who was born in New York and raised in Florida and speaks fluent Spanish, was more than willing to help, yet was released by the Braves just a few days later. Since then, Salcedo has stayed in the shadow of catcher Christian Bethancourt as he tries to communicate with his coaches, teammates and others.

In the meantime, playing the game has been even harder for Salcedo than adjusting to a new culture. Through games of August 24, Salcedo's batting average was riding on the razor's edge of the Mendoza line at exactly .200 (31-for-155). Facing pitchers in the South Atlantic League who for the most part are at least three years older and have more professional and/or collegiate experience, Salcedo has fanned 40 times in 155 at-bats while drawing only nine walks. He has tried hard to make up for his lack of production by swinging from his heels in certain situations. Instead of making consistent contact, Salcedo's aggressiveness has been used against him by hurlers and opponents with considerably more savvy than the teen-aged Dominican. The same has been seen in the field, where Salcedo displays excellent range and a very strong arm, yet makes poor decisions at times with his throws, which has led to 21 errors, including three games with two or more.

There is no question that Salcedo has the tools to be a solid major leaguer. When he has hit the ball in the SAL, he has displayed power potential and above-average speed with five doubles, four triples and a home run. Yet when he went deep in Greenville for his first big fly in the United States on August 7, Drive manager Billy McMillon was not impressed, saying he didn't care for Salcedo "pimping around the bases in a 10-0 game." The former major league outfielder had a point, but give the kid a break in an otherwise tough situation.

That home run has been one of the few big moments for Salcedo in August. In 19 games this month, he is hitting .183, with only 13 hits in 71 at-bats. It's obvious that his confidence has sagged, yet to his credit his approach has remained resilient. He works hard prior to games, willingly signs autographs for hordes of collectors at every ballpark, and attacks the game with a vengeance, from the first pitch until the final out.

Scouts and opposing managers are universal in their belief that Salcedo's struggles are evidence of his lack of game experience. His tools are obvious, which he and his representatives were able to display to would-be employers in various showcase events in the Dominican Republic. He initially attracted attention in 2007 when the Cleveland Indians entered negotiations with the player’s representative at the time, Scott Boras. The Indians were prepared to acquire Salcedo’s services for $2 million before questions arose that centered on Salcedo being too young to sign. The Braves and other teams requested an investigation by Major League Baseball regarding Salcedo's age, with his reported birthdate of July 30, 1991, being verified after more than 18 months.

Given his talent, Salcedo should be able to make some adjustments, both on the field and off, during instructional league this fall. He also might have the opportunity to play some this winter in the Dominican Republic, which could also help get things pointed in the right direction. For obvious reasons the Braves were excited about adding Salcedo to the fold and even referred to him as being the equivalent of a first-round draft pick. That could still be the case. Hopefully in the meantime the Braves will learn from this rare mistake and continue to place players based on merit instead of reasons beyond a young man's control.