Guardians signed right hand Luis Frias on a minor league deal invited to the big leagues for Spring Training, according to the club’s announcement.
Frias, 27 in May, signed with the Diamondbacks out of the Dominican Republic as a rookie and made his pro debut in 2016. After a slow stint in the youth ranks in his early years with the club, Frias quickly rose to prominence. from High-A up to Triple-A for the 2021 season. While he struggled to a 4.93 ERA in 23 starts at three levels in the minors that year, that didn’t stop Arizona from giving Frias his first big league opportunity. He’s pitched well in that short cup of coffee, with a 2.70 ERA and three strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of work, though his five walks represent a clear red flag about how his command will play out at the big league level.
Those control issues showed up in the form of a brutal 2022 season. Frias’ second campaign in the desert wasn’t too bad, as he posted a 10.59 ERA in 17 major league innings while also walking (17) more batters than he struck out (14). His 3.99 ERA in Triple-A offered some level of hope, though that was backed up by a 12.3% walk rate at the level. Despite his struggles, Frias’ impressive performances were enough to convince Arizona to keep him on the roster through 2023, and he delivered the best season of his career in return. Despite walking 12.2% of opponents in the majors that year, Frias posted a 4.07 ERA that was 9% better than average with an ERA+ average in 31 innings of work. His 18.7% strikeout rate wasn’t ridiculous, but in terms of pure run blocking his results were average relief and adequate.
Unfortunately, Frias’ performance backfired in 2024. In 13 MLB appearances split between the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays, the right-hander struggled to a 13.97 ERA and 5.55 FIP while recording 9 2/3 career total innings. Things even looked bad at the Triple-A level during his time in Arizona, as he posted a lackluster 4.88 ERA for the club’s affiliate in Reno. Fortunately for Frias, however, he managed in Triple-A later in the year after being fired from the Snakes. He posted a 0.96 ERA and a 27.9% strikeout rate for his new team in Buffalo, and while that wasn’t enough to convince the Jays to keep him on the 40-man roster this winter it was apparently enough to get Frias his look. Guards this winter.
While Frias won’t break camp as part of Cleveland’s crowded bullpen, he’ll now have a chance to work with one of the league’s most improved organizations in hopes of using his strengths and shaping his command going forward. For now, he’ll serve as a non-roster depth option at Guardian without a bullpen that can be called upon in the event of an injury.
Source link
