Giants' Valdez 'finally woke up'

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Giants prospect Merkin Valdez has always sported what observers term "electric stuff," especially his high-kilowatt fastball. But there was a big problem.

The right-hander should have been surging on a powerful 220 mental current, but he seemed stuck on 120.

Highly rated as a prospect, Valdez proved too young -- only 21 in 2003 -- and too inexperienced or too immature to move quickly up the Minor League ranks. Like running on a treadmill, he was making progress but going nowhere, switching from a starter's role to the bullpen, then back again.

To his credit, Valdez had a marvelous reaching-for-his-potential campaign in 2003 at Class A Hagerstown, winning nine games with a 2.25 ERA and leading the South Atlantic League with 166 strikeouts in 156 innings. He also was honored by Baseball America as the Giants' Organizational Player of the Year.

Yet he entered this spring as only the fifth-rated prospect following a 5-6, 3.53 ERA year at Double-A Norwich.

"I have to say I have been very disappointed because for two years he was always dealing with Class A and Double-A ball," said manager Felipe Alou. "I told him at the beginning of this camp that the kid stuff is over with.

"There are many kids from the Latin countries that don't understand the importance of making money now," he added. "They're satisfied collecting a Triple-A, Double-A or part-time Major League salary and then they come to an age and, wow, they realize they can make big money."

For Valdez, Alou says, the light has come on.

Now 24, the man acquired from Atlanta in the Russ Ortiz-Damien Moss deal in December 2002 has been totally plugged in, working hard on a burgeoning slider and opening Cactus League play with 3 1/3 scoreless innings before allowing a homer and three runs in one stint.

On Tuesday at Scottsdale Stadium, Valdez showed he's right on target, retiring the side in the ninth inning in a 6-4 loss to the Oakland A's.

"He finally woke up," said Alou. "The talent has always been there, but now he realizes he's not a Double-A guy. He has responded and personally, I believe he's going to be a heckuva closer. He's hungry now and wants to get out of the Minor Leagues."

Valdez, long strictly a fastballer, has been hampered by injuries in the Minors -- he walked into AT&T Park last season carrying his MRI results for an inflamed right shoulder -- but his slider is getting nastier and that changeup is a work in progress.

"I've had more experience working from the bullpen than in the past and I'm used to that, grown into the role," said Valdez of his solid spring. "That's the reason I've shown improvement.

"I wasn't losing patience in the Minors, but I've worked hard to build up my arm and the experience helped. This year, I'm just going to keep working. I don't know where I'll be -- I'll leave that up to the organization."

Since first playing in the Dominican Summer League in the Braves organization in 2000, Valdez has compiled a 32-31 record and 2.72 ERA, and although the tall, wiry pitcher has gained confidence in his slider and cut fastball, his 95-mph fastball seems a perfect fit for the bullpen.

"He has two pitches now," said Alou. "He was a one-pitch guy, and I think that was his problem as a starter. It's hard to throw a number of innings with basically a fastball. I see now a slider that is better. The changeup still needs work, but you can blow people away with a fastball for one inning -- you don't do that as a starter."

This spring, Valdez does seem more grown up. He has a presence on the hill that wasn't there before. He's focused, he's intense. There are no I'm-just-happy-to-be-here thoughts.

"I'm getting more confidence this year," said Valdez. "I don't have any goals, I just want to do my work and let it happen."