In 2023, Venezuelan pitcher Eduardo Salazar, who plays for the Cincinnati Reds, made his Major League Baseball debut. The Cincinnati Reds and Salazar agreed to a one-year, $720,000 contract, which includes $720,000 in guarantees.
Eduardo Salazar’s first big league K is a game-ender – Reds
•
Welcome to Cincinnati, Eduardo Salazar. The Venezuela native was signed in 2017. He has posted a 0.51 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 25 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings between Double-A Chattanooga and Triple-A Louisville this season. – Reds
Salazar was initially promoted to the major leagues on May 24, 2023, after being added to the 40-man roster.
On June 26, 2023, the Reds called up Salazar from Triple-A Louisville. In order to make room on the active roster for Salazar, Cincinnati optioned right-hander Levi Stoudt to Triple-A.
Salazar should help the overworked Cincinnati bullpen, which pitched 16.2 innings over the course of the team’s weekend series with Atlanta. With Cincinnati, Salazar has made six bullpen appearances, tossing 9.1 innings with a 5.79 ERA and 1.61 WHIP.
Eduardo Salazar’s baseball career
Salazar, an international free agent, signed with the Cincinnati Reds on March 4, 2017. During that season, he made his professional debut for the Dominican Summer League Reds.
Salazar split the 2018 season between the Greeneville Reds and the rookie-level Arizona League Reds, compiling a 5.83 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 29.1 innings thrown.
Salazar played for High-A Dayton for most of the 2021 season before making one start for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in the last month of the year. Salazar played with Chattanooga for the whole 2022 season, starting 27 games, compiling a 6-10 record, 5.16 ERA, 111 strikeouts in 125.2 innings worked, and recording a 5.16 FIP.
He started the 2023 campaign with the Double-A Chattanooga Braves before being called up to the Triple-A Louisville Bats after recording a pitiful 0.68 ERA in 9 outings. Salazar threw 4.1 innings in three games for Louisville, giving up no runs while walking only one and striking out three batters.
