Indians Close In On D.R. Prospect?

by Eli Greenspan on Feb 3, 2008 1:37 PM EST

The Indians are reportedly closing in on a contract with 16-year old prospect Edward Salcedo. Salcedo is from the Dominican Republic, and is seeking a big contract because his agent is the famous Scott Boras. Boras, among other scouts, have compared him to Miguel Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez. "This is a high priority guy a lot of clubs are after, and his agent is playing that the right way right now," said one international scouting director. "He’s got all the time in the world. They’re just waiting for the biggest offer." The Yankees appear to be very interested as well, along with the Mariners. Scouts who have seen him play are very surprised by his ability to hit for power against players who are bigger and older than he is. Here is how Perfectgame.org sees him:

"Edward Salcedo is a FA SS with a 6'3'', 190 lb. frame from La Vega, Dominican Republic. Big League body, strong and athletic. Smooth, easy defensive actions, easy plus arm, can really play SS. Aggressive swing, power projection, deep load from wide base, good bat speed, geared to drive fastballs, timing will be an issue. All the tools to be a top player. Potential 1st round type if in draft."

I, for one, am always a little hesitant to compare young talent to big name players like A-Rod or Miguel Cabrera. Yes, he is a solid fielder and plus hitter, but a jump from the Dominican to the United States is tough. If he does sign, he will probably start in Single-A, and slowly work his way up. The reason I say this is because look how they compared Wily Mo Pena to big time players when he signed? Yes, he was rushed to the big leagues but lets be realistic. Pena is merely a bench player now taking any job he can get. For Salcedo, I expect him to break in by 2011 or 2012 and hit a respectable .280-.295 with 20-25 HR.

But maybe I am wrong, and this is the next A-Rod.

UPDATE: Jim Callis over at Baseball America said via email that he is over hyped.

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Eli, Have you seen this kid? Where do you get your projections? He won't start in Single A, he'll start in Rookie ball. He won't get to Low A for 2 years.

by Anonymous on Feb 3, 2008 5:05 PM EST reply actions