Blue Jays Claim 4-Year Veteran Pitcher Off Waivers

The Toronto Blue Jays have bolstered their bullpen by claiming right-handed pitcher Luis Frias off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Frias, a 26-year-old reliever from the Dominican Republic, was originally signed by the Diamondbacks as an international free agent in 2015 and made his MLB debut in 2021. 

Throwing a powerful fastball, which averages close to 96 mph, Frias has shown flashes of potential but has struggled with consistency at the major league level, posting a 6.55 ERA across 57.2 innings over four seasons.

Another day, another reliever DFA'd.

Luis Frias was an RP for the D-backs.
He's a North-South pronator with an FC/FF/SL/SI combo. Has flashed CH in past seasons.

He's only 26 and is in his last option year.

Notes --> #TridentsUp #RaysUp #DirtyWater pic.twitter.com/A8qcOgvD8G

— Remi Bunikiewicz (@RBunikiewicz) August 8, 2024

This season, Frias appeared in seven games for Arizona, recording a 9.95 ERA before being designated for assignment. 

He spent most of the year with the Diamondbacks' Triple-A affiliate in Reno, where he posted a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings. 

Despite his struggles, Frias’s raw talent and hard-throwing capabilities, including a cutter and a four-seam fastball with notable movement, have kept him on the radar as a potential impact reliever. 

However, control issues have plagued his career, as evidenced by a career 15.6% walk rate.

ROSTER MOVE:

🔹 We’ve claimed RHP Luis Frías off waivers from the Diamondbacks and optioned him to Triple-A pic.twitter.com/8kGaXoAuMa

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 10, 2024

The Blue Jays, currently seeking to strengthen their bullpen, have optioned Frias to their Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. 

As Frias will be out of minor league options next season, Toronto will be closely evaluating his performance to determine if he can be a part of their bullpen in 2025. 

Photo Credit: Rob Schumacher / USA TODAY NETWORK