2016 Mets Reliever: Fernando Salas (2016)
He began pitching in the Mexican League for former big leaguer Sid Monge. Monge taught him to be a better pitcher & four years later. he told Salas that he was ready for America & the big leagues.
In 2010 he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinlas & invited to Spring Training. That year he got into 27 games, finishing off eleven games for St. Louis in relief.
In 2011 he became the Cards closer, replacing Ryan Franklin & saved 24 games in 68 appearances. The next year he started out at 0-3 with an ERA over six & was sent down to the minor leagues. He suffered from a kidney stone & returned later in the season.
Post Season: Salas made three appearances in the NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies & then four games in the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the Cards 12-6 Game #6 win to force a Game Seven, he pitched two innings (3rd & 4th) striking out three batters but allowed one run.
In the World Series against the Texas Rangers, he was roughed up for three runs in Game #3 at Arlington & then two more runs in Game #6 at St. Louis.
He pitched two more seasons in St. Louis going 1-7 with a 4.40 ERA in those two years, making another post season in 2012. Post Season: After pitching a scoreless inning against the Washington Nats in the NLDS, he appeared in four games of the NLCS loss to the San Francisco Giants. In that series he allowed two runs in six innings of work.
In 2014 he was traded along with David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Peter Bourjos & Randal Grichuk. In his first season there he went 5-0 with nine holds, getting to another post season, losing to the Kansas City Royals. The next year he recorded 18 holds going 5-2 with a 4.24 out of the bull pen in 2015.He began 2016 with the Angels, after 58 games on August 31st, he was traded to the New York Mets for minor leaguer Erik Manoah. Salas proved to be a great acquisition for the Mets, solidifying the 7th inning relief spot getting to Addison Reed in the 8th & closer Jeurys Familia in the 9th. He helped the Mets catch the top NL Wild Card spot.
In 17 games with the Mets he was credited with seven holds, while taking one loss September 15th after a Wilson Ramos HR in 1-0 loss to the Nats. Overall he posted a 2.08 ERA striking out 19 batters while issuing no walks in 17 innings of work.He began the 2017 season with New York getting used frequently early on, collecting two holds in the Mets first nine games. On April 15th he blew a game in Miami as Christian Yelich & Giancarlo Stanton blasted back to back HRs off him. On June 9th he took another loss in Atlanta. His only win came on July 1stm pitching the 6-7 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field in a 7-6 Met win.
He would get credit for 11 holds with the Mets, but also had games where he allowed two or more runs, eight different times in 48 appearances. His ERA was at 6.00 when the Mets released him on August 15th. He was picked up by the NL Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
There he was 1-0 in 13 games, finishing up four. He did not pitch in the post season. He was granted free agency & signed with Arizona for 2018.Family: Ramos has a son with his girlfriend Daniela, they live in Mexico.
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