Padres sign Mexican LHP Zayed Salinas
Credit: El Vigia
The San Diego Padres signed 16-year-old left-handed pitcher Zayed Salinas.
It is no secret that the San Diego Padres and their general manager A.J. Preller enjoy their international talent.
On Tuesday, the Padres spent more money on the market, signing 16-year-old left-handed pitcher Zayed Salinas. Money was acquired a few weeks ago from the Cincinnati Reds as the Padres sent Travis Jankowski to the team for international money.
The newly signed southpaw is out of Mexico and considered the #1 overall player in the country for this signing period.
He is armed with a fastball that is already in the 87-90 mph range. He also throws a curveball and a changeup. Salinas has excellent size already at 6-foot-2 and 185 lbs.
The pitcher reportedly has solid mechanics despite his youth. This could be a good signing for the team eventually, though it will take a year or so before we get a glimpse of Salinas as a professional. He will likely pitch in the DSL next season if he can show the Padres he has an advanced mentality.
Padres agreed to terms ($800k) with 16-year-old Mexican LHP/OF Zayed Salinas. 6’2, 185, sits 87-90, curve 74-79 projects to plus, has changeup feel. We had as #1 player in Mexico for 2019, 27th overall, 35+ FV. https://t.co/mzaCvTjtZL
— Eric Longenhagen (@longenhagen) November 12, 2019
The Padres are no strangers to Mexican talent as the team has signed Tirso Ornelas, Andres Munoz, Omar Cruz, Manuel Partida, and others in the last few seasons out of Mexico. They are embracing the country from the south and the fact that Mexico is starting to generate quality prospects.
The Toros signed Salinas in the Mexican League at the age of 14. He went to Technical High School in Ensenada, where he hit .600 as a position player. He played center field as a younger teen, where he showed decent ability with the bat. The left-handed batter eventually made his way to the mound as his arm has a lot of potential.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
I’ve been waiting for this deal to happen. Fangraphs have had the Padres connected to him since July and it is nice to see them add another decent prospect to the system, especially with the rumors that Preller & co. are going to be going the trade route to acquire a starting pitcher.