Cleveland Guardians take on next pitching reclamation project by signing reliever to minor league contract

The next pitching reclamation project for the Cleveland Guardians may have just been revealed. It was announced on Thursday that the Guardians have signed 26-year-old reliever Luis Frias to a minor league contract with an invite to Major League Spring Training. Frias spent the 2024 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays before signing with Cleveland.

Frias has not experienced a ton of success in the big leagues, posting a lackluster 7.38 ERA and 1.967 WHIP in 58 career appearances (61 innings). 2023 was Frias' most successful year as a pro, compiling a 4.07 ERA and 1.516 WHIP across 31 innings of work in 29 games, so not exactly an impressive performance when compared to other major league relievers.

The biggest issue for Frias in his career up to this point has been issuing walks. Frias has walked 15.4% of batters faced in his first four years as a pro, resulting in 6.8 walks issued per nine innings pitched. This is a major problem for Frias, as the last thing a team wants out of a relief pitcher is someone who walks batters frequently. With that being said, there must be something the Guardians see in him to bring him into the organization, even if it is only a minor league deal.

Cleveland is coming off a season that saw their bullpen perform at an elite level, shutting down the best offenses in baseball on a routine basis. But the thing when it comes to bullpens is that a lot can change in just one year, as this is one of the most volatile position groups in all of sports. So even though Frias is on the outside looking in right now, it could be a very different story if any of Cleveland's relief arms struggle or go down with an injury. This scenario would only work if they are able to correct Frias' issues, making him a reliable bullpen arm, but that possibility is still a long way away and not necessarily a guarantee.

If the Guardians can make Frias an MLB-caliber bullpen arm, it would just be the latest addition to their pitching success resume. If not, it was worth taking a chance on a low-cost arm in the hopes of further solidifying their relief corps.