Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Ernesto Frieri

Minor MLB Transactions: 3/18/18

By | at

Keeping up with the latest minor moves from around baseball…

  • The Brewers are reuniting with reliever Jim Henderson on a minor league pact, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com tweets. Interestingly, the 35-year-old Henderson will act as a player/coach, and he could even do some scouting eventually, per McCalvy. The majority of Henderson’s major league time has come in Milwaukee, where he made his MLB debut and pitched to a 3.44 ERA across 102 innings from 2012-14. He last saw action in the majors in 2016 with the Mets. An attempt to catch on with the Cubs a year ago didn’t take, so Henderson went through the season without pitching competitively.

Earlier updates:

  • The Brewers have released reliever Ernesto Frieri, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. The 32-year-old Frieri will look to continue his career, even though he struggled in camp, per Haudricourt. Once of the game’s premier relievers, Frieri was last an effective major leaguer in 2013, when he was the Angels’ closer. He logged just seven innings last year (with the Rangers) after not pitching in the bigs in 2016. Frieri performed well with the Triple-A affiliates of the Rangers, Yankees and Mariners, though, as he combined for a 3.43 ERA with 11.9 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9 over 39 1/3 frames.
  • The Diamondbacks have released catcher Josh Thole, according to a team announcement. The 31-year-old Thole had been in camp as a non-roster invitee for the D-backs, who originally added him on a minor league contract entering 2017. Thole didn’t play at all last year, however, after suffering a hamstring tear during the spring. Prior to that, he saw big league action with two teams – the Mets (2009-13) and Blue Jays (2013-16) – and combined to hit just .242/.313/.306 in 1,499 plate appearances. To his credit, Thole has earned plus defensive marks for the majority of his career.

Brewers Agree To Minor League Deal With Ernesto Frieri

By | at

The Brewers have agreed to terms on a minor league contract with veteran righty Ernesto Frieri, reports MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (on Twitter). The former Angels closer will be invited to Major League Spring Training and vie for a spot in the bullpen.

Frieri, 32, did not pitch in the Majors or minors in 2016, but he used the 2017 World Baseball Classic as an audition to return to pro ball in North America. Frieri pitched for his native Colombia in that tournament and showed enough that the Yankees picked him up on a minor league pact. While Frieri didn’t make it to the big leagues in the Bronx, the 3.00 ERA and 24-to-9 K/BB ratio that he logged with their Triple-A affiliate was enough to draw the interest of the Rangers.

Frieri did log seven innings out of the Rangers’ bullpen last season, though that was his lone big league action in 2017. He spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A with the Yanks, Rangers and also the Mariners, pitching to a 3.43 ERA with 11.9 K/9 against 4.8 BB/9.

Overall, Frieri has a lifetime 3.59 ERA in 303 1/3 innings at the Major League level. He’s averaged a healthy 11.5 K/9 in the Majors against 4.2 BB/9 but just a 26.4 percent ground-ball rate. Frieri relies heavily on a four-seam fastball that he’ll often throw up in the zone, generating to plenty of whiffs above the zone and a sky-high 15.5 percent infield-fly rate (one of the best in the Majors over the past decade). However, home runs became an increasing problem for Frieri over the course of his career, as he averaged 1.7 HR/9 from 2012-15 before sitting out the 2016 campaign.

Minor MLB Transactions: 10/21/17

By | at

We’ll track the day’s minor MLB transactions here:

  • 70 players have filed for minor league free agency, according to an article by Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The piece is sorted by team, so you can see the latest minor-league transactional details for your favorite ballclub. You can also see which players have been recently released, outrighted and assigned to the Arizona Fall League and various winter leagues. A look at the article is well worth the time for any baseball fan.

Mariners Acquire Ernesto Frieri

By | at

The Rangers announced that they’ve traded right-hander Ernesto Frieri to the Mariners in exchange for cash. Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times first reported the swap and adds that Frieri will help to round out a depleted bullpen in Triple-A Tacoma for the time being (Twitter links). He’s not on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.

Frieri, 32, returned to the Majors in 2017 after sitting out the 2016 campaign entirely (outside of a stint in the Dominican Winter League). The former Angels closer drummed up some interest by pitching for his native Colombia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. That showing helped Frieri to latch on with the Yankees on a minors pact, and he later signed with the Rangers after opting out of that pact with New York. He pitched seven innings out of the Texas ’pen, allowing four runs on six hits and six walks with five strikeouts.

While those numbers aren’t pretty, Frieri has a strong 2.63 ERA with 11.2 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 in 27 1/3 Triple-A frames this year — including 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball with an 8-to-3 K/BB ratio since last being sent to Triple-A by Texas. He’s mostly a depth option for now, it seems, but Frieri does have a solid overall track record in the Majors, even in spite of his lack of recent results.

In 303 1/3 big league innings, he owns a 3.59 ERA with 11.5 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9. Frieri is an extreme fly-ball pitcher (career 26.4 percent ground-ball rate), though if he reaches the Majors, concerns surrounding that trait could be somewhat mitigated by the spacious dimensions of Seattle’s Safeco Field and an excellent Mariners outfield defense.

Minor MLB Transactions: 7/8/17

By | at

Here are the latest minor league moves from around baseball, with the newest transactions at the top of the post…

Latest Moves

  • Right-hander Ernesto Frieri has accepted an outright assignment to the Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate, the team announced.  Frieri cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week.  The veteran righty signed a minor league deal with Texas a month ago and he pitched seven innings out of the Rangers bullpen, his first taste of MLB action since 2015.  Frieri issued six walks against just five strikeouts in that brief stint, continuing to display the control problems that have plagued him in recent years.  In 22 combined Triple-A innings in the Rangers and Yankees farm systems this year, Frieri has a 2.86 ERA, 10.6 K/9 and 2.89 K/BB rate.

Earlier Today

  • The White Sox outrighted right-hander Michael Ynoa to Triple-A, the team announced.  Ynoa was designated for assignment on Thursday.  Ynoa has a 5.90 ERA over 29 relief innings for the Sox this season, with almost as many walks (22) as strikeouts (23).
  • The Indians have released first baseman Chris Colabello from his minor league deal, the club announced.  Colabello inked his deal with the Tribe in the offseason and hit .225/.324/.333 with six homers over 296 plate appearances at the Triple-A level.  It was less than two years ago that Colabello emerged to help the Blue Jays win the 2015 AL East title, though a failed PED test in April 2016 put a sour twist on that breakout season.  After the subsequent 80-game suspension, Colabello didn’t return to the Jays’ MLB roster and he managed just a .547 OPS over 173 minor league PA last year.

Rangers Activate Jeremy Jeffress, Designate Ernesto Frieri

By | at

The Rangers have activated righty Jeremy Jeffress from the 10-day DL, per an announcement from executive VP of communications John Blake. Texas designated veteran righty Ernesto Frieri to create roster space.

Jeffress, 29, has struggled to a 5.46 ERA through 29 2/3 innings on the year. While he’s still generating a healthy 56.6% groundball rate, Jeffress has managed only 5.2 K/9 against 4.3 BB/9 on the season while allowing homers at a career-high 1.21 HR/9 clip.

Still, his quick return from a lower back strain is a positive development for the Rangers’ beleaguered pen. After all, he carried a 2.46 ERA over the preceding four seasons. Getting back to that level of performance may not be easy, though. Jeffress’s go-to sinker is clocking in nearly two miles per hour lower than his career average.

As for Frieri, his six-game stint in Texas represented his first MLB action since 2015. The former Angels closer’s control issues reemerged — he allowed six in seven innings — but he did show a 94.4 mph average fastball in his brief stint. Frieri has also thrown quite well at Triple-A, posting a 2.86 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 22 frames (most with the Yankees’ top affiliate) on the year.

Rangers Place Andrew Cashner On DL, Designate Peter O’Brien

By | at

The Rangers have announced that they’ve placed righty Andrew Cashner on the 10-day DL with a left oblique strain. They’ve also purchased the contract of veteran righty reliever Ernesto Frieri to take his place on the 25-man roster. To clear 40-man space for Frieri, they’ve designated 1B/OF Peter O’Brien for assignment.

[Related: Updated Texas Rangers Depth Chart]

Cashner’s injury is the latest for a Rangers rotation that has also recently endured injuries to Cole Hamels and A.J. Griffin, although MLB.com’s TR Sullivan tweets that the Rangers hope Cashner will only need to miss a start or two. Cashner has posted a 3.50 ERA and 49.8 GB% in 69 1/3 innings with Texas, albeit with 4.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9.

Frieri is set to return to the big leagues after last appearing in the bigs with the Rays in 2015. He sat out the 2016 season to work on his mechanics, signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees, then latched on with the Rangers after opting out. For the season, he’s posted a 2.86 ERA, 10.6 K/9 and 3.7 BB/9 in 22 Triple-A innings, perhaps indicating he’s recovered some portion of what made him successful as a closer for the Angels in 2012 and 2013 before he struggled with the Angels and Pirates in 2014.

The well-traveled O’Brien has already been a member of four organizations in 2017, heading from the Diamondbacks to the Royals to the Reds to the Rangers in a series of minor transactions. The 26-year-old has demonstrated impressive power, with 122 career minor-league home runs, but has always had trouble with strikeouts and this year has struggled to the tune of a .167/.254/.301 line in four minor-league stops. He briefly played in the big leagues with Arizona in 2015 and 2016.

Rangers Sign Ernesto Frieri To Minors Deal

By | at

The Rangers announced that they’ve signed right-hander Ernesto Frieri to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Round Rock. The former Angels closer had been pitching with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate until last week, when he opted out of his minor league deal with New York.

Presumably, Frieri’s camp sees a clearer road to a big league roster spot in Arlington than they did in the Bronx. Given the struggles of the Texas relief corps — especially the recently designated for assignment Sam Dyson — it is indeed easy to see the 32-year-old Frieri quickly earning a look in the Major League ’pen. The Rangers’ 4.76 bullpen ERA is the fifth-worst mark in all of Major League Baseball, and in addition to the struggles of Dyson, Texas has seen Tony Barnette and Jeremy Jeffress post ERAs north of 5.00. Both were worked especially heavily early in the season, which may have contributed to their lackluster results.

Frieri, who utilized the World Baseball Classic as an avenue to pursue a comeback, has pitched well with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate thus far. In 21 innings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, he’s posted a 3.00 ERA with 24 strikeouts with nine walks and a 33.3 percent ground-ball rate. He’s always been a fly-ball pitcher with iffy control, even when at his best with the Padres and Angels from 2010-13. In that time, Frieri posted a 2.79 ERA with 12.3 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 across 229 1/3 innings of relief.

NL East Links: Kemp, Cespedes, Mets, Glover, Baker, Phillies

By | at

Matt Kemp has been such a boost to the Braves lineup that Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution doesn’t see the team shopping Kemp as a deadline trade chip.  Kemp is 32, is a limited defensive outfielder and has a hefty remaining salary owed through the 2019 season, yet Bradley feels the veteran has made himself a near-indispensable part of the roster.  Kemp has been outstanding since joining the Braves last season, including a .345/.381/.608 slash line and 10 homers in 181 PA this year.  Bradley also notes that Freddie Freeman’s production improved with Kemp hitting behind him, which gives Kemp even more value.

Some notes from around the NL East…

  • Mets GM Sandy Alderson said there wasn’t any new updates on Yoenis Cespedes’ DL situation, which leads the New York Post’s Adam Rubin to doubt whether Cespedes will be able to return to action this week.  Cespedes’ rehab stint for a hamstring injury was interrupted by some soreness in his long bothersome right quad muscle, and he has yet to resume full running, though he has been jogging.  Alderson had previously said that Cespedes could potentially return for DH duty when the Mets are in Texas for an interleague series with the Rangers this week, though that timeline seems tenuous at this point.
  • Also from Rubin, he reports that the Mets “aren’t likely” to go after relievers Bobby Parnell and Ernesto Frieri.  The two right-handers recently opted out of minor league deals (Parnell with the Royals, Frieri with the Yankees) and are now free agents.  Parnell, of course, has a notable history with the Mets, pitching for the club from 2008-15 and serving as the team’s closer in 2013.
  • Though rookie Koda Glover has looked excellent as the Nationals’ closer, Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post argues that the Nats should still pursue an experienced ninth-inning man before the trade deadline.  Glover is still an unproven commodity with some durability questions and the Nationals’ bullpen is lacking in overall depth, plus Glover could still excel as a setup man down the stretch.
  • The Nationals’ pen is also one of many topics covered in a reader mailbag piece from Jorge Castillo and Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, with Castillo feeling that the Nats will indeed obtain a reliever at the deadline.  It may not necessarily be a big-name closer, however, given how Glover continues to perform over the next two months.
  • From that same mailbag item, Janes writes that there don’t appear to be any extension talks between Dusty Baker and the Nationals, though that could be a function of ownership’s stance against making lengthy commitments to managers.  It seems that both sides want to continue the relationship and all signs point towards Baker returning in 2018 (assuming the Nats continue to win, of course), though Janes notes that the team will have to pay market price for Baker given the success the Nationals have enjoyed in his tenure.
  • Despite the Phillies’ struggles, GM Matt Klentak reiterated to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other media that the team hasn’t altered its approach to promoting its top minor league position players.  The likes of J.P. Crawford, Roman Quinn, Rhys Hoskins and others at Triple-A could provide the Phils with a boost or at least give the youngsters some experience at the big league level as part of the team’s overall rebuilding process.  The Phillies aren’t going to promote their prospects, however, until there is a clear opportunity for regular playing time and until each player is fully prepared for the majors.  “To expose players to the big league level before they’re ready isn’t doing them any favors, nor is it doing the organization any favors. We have to constantly balance that,” Klentak said.

Ernesto Frieri Opts Out Of Yankees Deal

By | at

Veteran right-hander Ernesto Frieri has exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Yankees, reports Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (on Twitter). The decision to opt out seems to be a last-minute change in direction, as the Post’s Joel Sherman reported late yesterday afternoon that Frieri had not yet triggered the clause.

Set to turn 32 next month, Frieri has enjoyed a solid season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate thus far, pitching to a 3.00 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 21 innings of work. Frieri’s nine walks and 33.3 percent ground-ball rate aren’t eye-catching numbers, but even in his peak seasons from 2010-13, he was a fly-ball pitcher that struggled with his control at times.

Frieri sat out the 2016 campaign entirely, with the exception of playing some winter ball, and he struggled through both the 2014 and 2015 seasons in the Majors. However, the former Angels closer did notch 60 saves from 2012-13, and his aforementioned four-year peak stretch included a 2.79 earned run average with 313 strikeouts in just 229 1/3 innings.

Given his history of missing bats and solid efforts thus far in Triple-A, Frieri could latch on as a low-cost flyer with any number of bullpen-needy teams around the league. Speculatively speaking, the Nationals, Tigers, Twins, Rangers and Mets are among the many clubs that could be on the hunt for relief help.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top