The Dodgers and catcher David Freitas have signed a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The client of PSI Sports Management will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training.
Freitas, 34 in March, played in the majors for three straight years beginning in 2017. He got into 59 games over that stretch, suiting up for the Braves, Mariners and Brewers. His career batting line is currently .200/.268/.288. In 2020, he didn’t play in the regular season but was recalled by the Brewers to take a spot on their postseason roster, striking out in his sole plate appearance.
Though Freitas hasn’t done much in the majors, he got opportunities based on his strong work in the minors. In 2019, he hit 12 home runs in 91 Triple-A games and produced a slash line of .381/.461/.561 for a wRC+ of 154. That minor league work was enough to get him a chance to play in Korea in 2021, as he was signed by the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. However, he struggled to a .259/.297/.374 line and was put on waivers in June. He signed with the Rays in August and hit .245/.364/.434 in 16 games for their Triple-A team down the stretch. Last year, Freitas signed a minors deal with the Yanks but was released after hitting .239/.310/.345 in 36 Triple-A games.
The Dodgers have Will Smith and Austin Barnes handling the catching duties at the major league level, but the only other backstop on the 40-man is Diego Cartaya. He’s one of the most highly-regarded prospects in the league but he has yet to reach Double-A. The addition of Freitas gives the club a veteran depth option without using a roster spot. If he’s able to make his way back onto the roster, he’s out of options but has just over a year of service time. Should his bat finally break out at the big league level, the Dodgers could keep him around for the foreseeable future.
Doyers building up for ohtani
LOL
Depth move.
Clearly they’re preparing to trade Smith.
Will always love him for Game 6…..oh whoops not David Friese.
Freese.
Would have been kinda funny if your play on words was actually spelled correctly
Never thought I’d see the day the Dodgers officially going into tank mode.
How is signing a AAA depth player a “tank mode” move? Every team does have to fill a AAA roster – they aren’t all prospects, most are minor league vets who may have touched the majors but might not ever again. Am I missing something slider?
The Dodgers have minor leaguers that were held back due to a glut of talent at the major league level. They’re simply going to give their developed players an opportunity while resetting their luxury tax. Very logical.
Yep, and if you’re a young minor leaguer with some talent, you’re a lot better off being in an organization that’s rebuilding than you are in one that’s stacked like the Dodgers. You might not win a championship right away, but you’ll get a much better shot at playing in the major leagues and sticking around for a while.
#slider – Valid point
I thought he was a lineman for the Steelers in the 60s-70s.
I knew a kid named David Frietas when I was growing up. He was a bad influence.
I knew a girl named Freda, and she had a older brother named David. Good folks.
Was Lay her last name?