Brewers Add RHP Javier Salas to Arizona Fall League Roster

About four weeks ago, the Brewers announced that they were sending six prospects to the take part in this year’s iteration of the annual Arizona Fall League. Brett Phillips, Isan Diaz, Jacob Nottingham, Josh Uhen, Tyler Spurlin, and Tayler Scott were initially named to the Salt River Rafters, but one spot reserved for the Brewers was listed as ‘TBA.’ Today we learned that the Brewers’ final spot will to right handed pitcher Javier Salas, who spent the most of the 2016 season with AA Biloxi.

Salas, 24, was Milwaukee’s 10th round pick in the 2014 draft. In 13 appearances (12 starts) covering 47.1 innings for Biloxi this season, Salas posted a 5.13 ERA and 5.16 FIP to go along with 35 strikeouts and 38 walks. He did deal with some injuries this season and posted much better totals last year with Brevard County, when he tossed 128.2 innings of 4.13 ERA ball to go along with 82 strikeouts and 39 free passes.

According to Adam McInturff of Baseball Prospectus, who had a chance to scout Salas this past spring, Salas throws across his body from a low three-quarters arm slot with a “deceptive, high-maintenance delivery.” He features a 91-94 MPH fastball with tailing action along with a 77-80 MPH slider that McInturff described as “below-average to fringey.” Salas doesn’t miss many bats, lacks a third pitch and even his secondary pitch may not be good enough to get MLB hitters out, putting his probable ceiling somewhere between MLB low-leverage relief arm and organizational depth.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs