Goldeyes sign Salamida, trade Privett

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Chris Salamida (MICHAEL VOSBURG / FORUM COMMUNICATIONS CO. ARCHIVES)

The Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball team has signed left-handed pitcher Chris Salamida for the 2013 American Association season and traded left-handed pitcher Todd Privett to the Amarillo Sox for future considerations.

Salamida, 28, will return for his fourth season with the defending league champion Goldeyes.

A product of Watervliet, N.Y., Salamida made 20 starts for the Goldeyes last season, going 5-7 with a 3.77 ERA. His ERA was the lowest it has been during his first three seasons in Winnipeg.

During the Goldeyes championship run in the playoffs, he was 1-0 with a 4.77 ERA in two starts and led the team’s pitching staff with 12 strikeouts.

"He’s one of the top left-handed starters in the league, if not the best left-handed starter in the league," said Goldeyes manager Rick Forney in a media release. "He’s been extremely reliable for us and very durable. He takes the ball whenever I ask him and gives a chance to win. When you are looking for starting pitching, those are all the ingredients you are looking for."

Through three seasons with the Goldeyes, Salamida has a 26-20 record and 4.33 ERA. His 62 starts is second all-time for the Goldeyes next to Ace Walker’s 105 starts.

Salamida is fourth in all-time wins and needs eight victories to pass Forney for third on the list. His 300 career strikeouts with the Goldeyes puts him third on the all-time list. He needs 14 strikeouts to pass Forney on that all-time list to move into second behind Walker.

Salamida is currently in fifth place in innings pitched at 357.2 and needs 42.1 innings pitched this season to move into second place behind Walker. That would also make Salamida just the second pitcher in Goldeyes history to reach 400 innings pitched.

Salamida played four seasons in the Houston Astros system after being drafted by them in the 13th round of the 2006 MLB amateur. He reached Double-A in 2008 and 2009.

The Goldeyes now have 11 players signed for the 2013 season, including eight pitchers and three position players.