Eduardo Salazar Bio
Eduardo José Salazar (born May 5, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Washington Nationals. Standing as a right-handed relief arm, Salazar came up through the Cincinnati organization as an international signing before bouncing across three major league clubs over the next two seasons.
Across his MLB career through the 2025 season, Salazar has compiled a 1–2 win–loss record, a 5.99 earned run average, and 55 strikeouts. He has experience working as both a starting pitcher and a reliever, though his recent big league work has come primarily out of the bullpen. He remains active in professional baseball as of the most recent reporting.
Early Life and Background
Eduardo José Salazar was born on May 5, 1998, in Venezuela, where baseball is a national pastime and a common professional pathway for young athletes. Growing up in a country with a deep pitching tradition, he developed the fundamentals of the game during his formative years before pursuing a professional career as a teenager.
Salazar came to professional baseball through the international signing market, a route that has produced many top Venezuelan big leaguers. His signing with a Major League organization in 2017 launched his path from the Dominican Summer League toward the highest level of the sport.
Path to Professional Baseball
On March 4, 2017, Salazar signed with the Cincinnati Reds as an international free agent, and he made his professional debut that year with the Dominican Summer League Reds. He spent the 2018 season split between the rookie-level Arizona League Reds and the Greeneville Reds, posting a combined 5.83 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 29.1 innings of work.
Salazar advanced to High-A in 2019 with the Dayton Dragons, where he recorded a 6–3 record and a 3.81 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 106.1 innings across 35 games, 11 of which were starts. After a missed 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season during the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned to Dayton in 2021 and pitched to a 4–5 record and 3.69 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 98 innings over 19 starts, while also making a brief appearance for the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts.
Eduardo Salazar Career
Early Career (2017–2022)
Salazar spent the entire 2022 season with Chattanooga, starting 27 games and registering a 6–10 record and 5.16 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 125.2 innings pitched. After several years as a starter in the Cincinnati system, the organization converted him to a relief pitcher for the 2023 season.
He opened 2023 with Double-A Chattanooga and posted a minuscule 0.68 ERA across nine appearances, which led to a promotion to the Triple-A Louisville Bats. In three outings with Louisville, Salazar allowed no runs with one walk and three strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work, putting him in line for his first major league opportunity.
Cincinnati Reds Breakthrough (2023)
On May 24, 2023, Salazar was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time. He made his MLB debut that day with one inning of work against the St. Louis Cardinals, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out one, and his first MLB strikeout came against Nolan Gorman.
Across eight relief appearances for the Reds, Salazar posted an 8.03 ERA with five strikeouts in 12.1 innings. On August 11, 2023, he was designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster, and after finishing the year back in the minors at Louisville, he became a free agent on November 6, 2023.
Los Angeles Dodgers Era (2024)
On November 16, 2023, Salazar signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and was assigned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club to open the 2024 season. The Dodgers selected his contract to the major league roster on April 16, 2024, but optioned him back to the minors the following day without an MLB appearance.
Salazar rejoined the majors on May 15, 2024, and pitched two innings while giving up three hits and two walks but no earned runs. He also made seven starts for Oklahoma City, posting a 5.61 ERA, before the Dodgers designated him for assignment on May 20, 2024.
Seattle Mariners Stint (2024)
On May 23, 2024, Salazar was claimed off waivers by the Seattle Mariners. In four games for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, he compiled a 5.40 ERA with one strikeout across 3.1 innings. On June 9, 2024, Salazar was designated for assignment by Seattle.
Washington Nationals Era (2024–2025)
On June 13, 2024, Salazar was claimed off waivers by the Washington Nationals. He made 25 appearances for Washington that season, posting an 0–1 record and a 2.96 ERA with 24 strikeouts across 27.1 innings, settling in as a steady middle-innings reliever down the stretch.
Salazar returned to the Nationals in 2025 and made 30 appearances, but struggled to an 0–1 record and an 8.38 ERA with 23 strikeouts over 29 innings. On October 29, 2025, he was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, and he subsequently rejected the assignment in favor of free agency.
Minnesota Twins (2026)
On February 3, 2026, Salazar signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins, giving him a fresh opportunity to work his way back toward the major leagues.
Notable Events and Milestones
Salazar’s first MLB strikeout, which came against Nolan Gorman of the St. Louis Cardinals on May 24, 2023, stands as a career-defining early milestone. His 2024 stretch run with the Washington Nationals, where he posted a 2.96 ERA over 25 appearances, marked his most sustained run of big league success to date.
Eduardo Salazar Career Highlights
Eduardo José Salazar’s professional career spans the international and minor league levels in addition to his MLB appearances, with stops in the Dominican Summer League, the Arizona and Appalachian leagues, High-A Dayton, Double-A Chattanooga, and Triple-A affiliates in Louisville, Oklahoma City, Tacoma, and Rochester. He has tallied 55 career MLB strikeouts across his time with Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and Washington.
Major League Highlights
Salazar made his MLB debut on May 24, 2023, with the Cincinnati Reds against the St. Louis Cardinals. He went on to appear for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners organization, and the Washington Nationals, where he turned in his strongest big league season with a 2.96 ERA across 25 appearances in 2024.
Other Performances
In the minor leagues, Salazar recorded a 6–3 record and a 3.81 ERA with 81 strikeouts for High-A Dayton in 2019, and posted a 0.68 ERA in nine appearances at Double-A Chattanooga in 2023 to earn his first major league promotion.
Eduardo Salazar Family
Personal Life
Little verified public information is available about Eduardo José Salazar’s family and personal life beyond his Venezuelan upbringing and his career as a professional baseball pitcher.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a difficult year for Eduardo José Salazar at the major league level. Pitching out of the Washington Nationals bullpen, he made 30 appearances but finished with an 0–1 record and an 8.38 ERA, allowing 23 strikeouts across 29 innings of work. Opposing hitters found consistent success against him as he struggled to replicate the sub-three ERA he posted with Washington in 2024.
Salazar’s role in Washington remained as a middle reliever, though his performance did not cement a long-term place in the major league bullpen. On October 29, 2025, the Nationals removed him from the 40-man roster and outrighted him to the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, and he subsequently elected free agency rather than accept the minor league assignment.
Looking ahead, Salazar signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins on February 3, 2026, positioning himself for another opportunity to climb back toward the majors. With continued health and improved results, he could compete for a bullpen role in Minnesota’s system during the 2026 season.