Ten years ago, Geraldo Perdomo signed with theDiamondbacksfor $70,000 as a 16-year-old amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic. He was not a big prospect, but he showed enough promise to move steadily through the system and ultimately reach the majors.
Perdomo is hoping another family member can follow a similar path.
Last week, the Diamondbacks signed 17-year-old outfielder Nicola Perdomo for a bonus of $47,500. He has a good approach, raw power and a strong arm. He is Geraldo’s younger brother, and he likely will begin his professional career this year in the Dominican Summer League.
“I’m excited for him,” Geraldo Perdomo said. “We’ll see what he can do. They’re giving him the opportunity to play and we’ll see what we can do.”
The brothers are different on and off the field. Geraldo was a no-doubt shortstop as a prospect; his brother is viewed as a corner outfield type whose bat will determine his future. Geraldo has always been outspoken, gregarious; Nicola is said to be more introverted.
“He’s a really good player,” Geraldo said. “He throws hard. He has a really good arm. It’s better than average, probably 70 (on the 20-to-80 scouting scale). He definitely has more power than me when I was that age — probably three times as much.
"He definitely can hit, and he can run better than me when I was that age, too. He’s skinnier than me, but he’s going to be as strong.”
Nicola is listed at 6 feet, at least a few inches taller than Geraldo said he was when he first signed. Geraldo is now 6-2.
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Diamondbacks assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye said the club liked a lot about the younger Perdomo, including the fact that they believe him to be a good person and a good worker.
“What I said to (Geraldo) is, ‘He’s going to an opportunity. He’s not going to get special treatment because he’s Perdomo brother,’” Sawdaye said. “I told him that if he hits well, he’ll get out of the Dominican and continue to progress (through the minors), but if he doesn’t, he could get passed.
"We’re going to continue to sign other guys. He understood that. He’s good with that. He was that guy once. He signed for $70,000. You have to perform in order to win a spot.”
Geraldo said he tried to let his brother find his own way into professional baseball. He helped him if he needed gloves or cleats and talked to him about his experiences, but he said he mostly tried to stay out of the way.
“But now that he signed, we can work together, we can do a lot of stuff together,” Perdomo said. “I don’t think I’ve influenced him all that much. He’s been working really hard on his own. I’m proud of the type of person and the type of kid that he’s become so far.”
As for living in the shadow of a big leaguer, Geraldo doesn’t see it that way.
“I don’t worry about that,” he said. “We’re two different players on the field. The most important thing is that he knows he has me here and he knows he has a goal to play alongside his brother.
"This is an opportunity for him to play and work hard and perform and show these guys what he can do.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic:Diamondbacks add Perdomo blood to their minor league system
