While a lot of attention gets paid to the annual amateur draft, a significantly lesser amount of attention is paid to international free agency. The reasons for this are clear - there's less talent, there's less information, and not every team is involved - but that doesn't mean being active in foreign markets can't pay off in a big way. Felix Hernandez, for example, was signed as a teenager out of Venezuela. Anyway, the Braves are the latest team to improve its farm system through free agency, signing 18 year old Dominican shortstop Edward Salcedo.
Braves Sign Latin Prospect Edward Salcedo
Atlanta announced Tuesday afternoon that it has signed Salcedo, an 18-year-old shortstop, who was regarded as one of the top available talents on the international market. The young infielder received a $1.6 million signing bonus.
Salcedo was signed to a contract by the Cleveland Indians two years ago, but the US government was suspicious of his reported age and blocked his path to the big leagues. He's been on the radar for a long time, and reports are positive across the board, with many considering him a five-tool player and the equivalent of a top-10 draft selection. While it's hasty to value him as a major guaranteed asset, he has the skillset of a potential star, and the Braves are in line to benefit from his development.
Says Keith Law:
The only consistent opinion on Salcedo among baseball people I talked to is that he’s going to hit, followed by the opinion that he’ll probably end up at third base.
The consensus seems to be that Salcedo immediately enters Atlanta’s top-10 list of prospects, slotting in somewhere around #5-8. He will report to spring training as soon as he’s cleared, and will likely spend the bulk of the season in A-ball.
Read more on the subject at Braves blog Talking Chop.
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