Jake Faria

Red Sox Outright Jake Faria

By Steve Adams | April 19, 2023 at 1:35pm CDT

The Red Sox announced Wednesday that right-hander Jake Faria went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester. Faria’s contract was selected over the weekend when the Sox needed a fresh arm, but he didn’t get into a game before being designated for assignment on Monday morning. He’s been outrighted in the past and will thus have the option of rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency if he chooses.

The 29-year-old Faria hasn’t appeared in the Majors since 2021, when he tossed 32 2/3 innings of 5.53 ERA ball with the Diamondbacks. He spent the 2022 season with the Twins’ Triple-A affiliate but was hit hard in 43 1/3 innings, and his 2023 start in Worcester hasn’t gone any better. In five frames, Faria has more earned runs and walks (six apiece) than he does strikeouts (five).

Faria had a strong debut season with the Rays back in 2017, when he appeared in 16 games (14 starts) and tossed 86 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball. The former tenth-round pick fanned 23.5% of his opponents that season against a solid 8.7% walk rate and looked like he’d be a valuable member of Tampa Bay’s staff for the foreseeable future.

Things didn’t pan out that way, however. Faria’s sophomore season with the Rays resulted in 65 innings of 5.40 ERA ball, as his strikeout, walk and home-run rates all trended in negative directions. The Rays traded him to the Brewers in exchange for Jesus Aguilar at the 2019 trade deadline in a move that worked out better for Tampa Bay but didn’t pay huge dividends for either party. (The Rays placed Aguilar on waivers after the season and lost him to the Marlins.)

Overall, in 116 2/3 frames since that impressive debut, Faria carries a 5.65 ERA with a middling 19% strikeout rate and a bloated 10.9% walk rate. He posted sharp Triple-A results earlier in his career, but more recent struggles there have bumped his lifetime Triple-A earned run average to 4.59 in a total of 308 innings.

Red Sox Announce Several Roster Moves

By Nick Deeds | April 17, 2023 at 8:13am CDT

The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves ahead of this morning’s game against the Angels. The club has optioned infielder Bobby Dalbec to Triple-A and designated right-hander Jake Faria for assignment, while activating right-hander Brayan Bello from the 15-day injured list and recalling outfielder Jarren Duran from Triple-A.

Faria, 29, was selected to the roster just yesterday, is DFA’d without making an appearance for Boston. A career 4.70 ERA (90 ERA+) pitcher with a 20.9% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate in the major leagues, Faria will now likely look to catch on with another club, as the Red Sox have seven days to waive, trade, or release the right-hander. Faria last pitched in the major leagues in 2021, as he spent all of the 2022 season in the minors with the Twins.

Bello’s activation is no surprise, as he had already been announced as the starter for this morning’s game against the Angels. Long considered to be one of the club’s top prospects, Bello made his major league debut in 2022 and held his own, posting just a 4.71 ERA (90 ERA+) in 57 1/3 innings of work, though his strong 2.94 FIP, inflated .404 BABIP, and somewhat low 68.2% strand rate all indicate there was some bad luck baked into Bello’s performance last year. The 23 year-old will step into the Red Sox rotation, potentially replacing fellow young right-hander Tanner Houck in the long term, though the club appears poised to use a six-man rotation for the time being.

Dalbec, 28 in June, was a 4th round pick by the Red Sox in the 2016 draft, and impressed early in his career with a 114 wRC+ in 545 plate appearances in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. That impressive start to his career had a major red flag, however, as Dalbec was striking out in 35.8% of his plate appearances over that time. That penchant for strikeouts has continued in the years since, while Dalbec’s power dissipated. Dalbec hit 33 home runs, 24 doubles, and 5 triples from 2020-2021, but has managed just 12 home runs, 9 doubles, and 2 triples in 364 plate appearances since the start of the 2022 season. Dalbec will now head to Triple-A and serve as infield depth for the club going forward.

Duran, 26, figures to make his season debut today against the Angels. Despite an impressive .299/.366/.468 career slash line in the minors, including a .266/.353/.498 line in 641 Triple-A plate appearances, Duran has struggled mightily at the major league level since his debut in 2021, posting a career wRC+ of just 68 and -0.8 fWAR in 91 career games in the big leagues. Duran figures to provide further outfield depth behind starters Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida in the corners and the current center field platoon of Raimel Tapia and Rob Refsnyder.

Red Sox Select Jake Faria, Place Chris Martin On 15-Day IL

By Nick Deeds | April 16, 2023 at 10:38pm CDT

10:38PM: There are “no red flags as far as structure” to Martin’s shoulder, manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters. The Red Sox are hopeful that Martin might be facing just a minimal 15-day absence.

12:12PM: The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves this afternoon, placing right-hander Chris Martin on the 15-day IL (retroactive to Thursday) with right shoulder inflammation. To replace Martin on the active roster, the club has selected the contract of right-hander Jake Faria from Triple-A. To clear a 40-man roster spot for Faria, the club has transferred right-hander Wyatt Mills, who is suffering from right elbow inflammation, to the 60-day IL.

Martin debuted with the Rockies back in 2014, but struggled to a 6.19 ERA in the first two seasons of his big league career before departing for Japan, where he dominated in the NPB to the tune of a 1.12 ERA in 88 1/3 innings of work. That performance earned him another shot in the big leagues, where he’s been a successful setup man ever since. Since the start of the 2018 season, Martin has posted a 3.41 ERA (135 ERA+) with a 3.06 FIP in 221 2/3 innings of work.

While his top-level run prevention numbers last season left something to be desired in the beginning of his season as a member of the Cubs, his 4.31 ERA in his 31 1/3 innings as a Cub were inflated by a .393 BABIP. Underlying metrics saw him strike out 30.1% of batters while walking just 3%, leaving him with a 3.01 FIP during his time with in Chicago. Those strong underlying stats manifested in a dominant stretch run following a midseason trade to the Dodgers: in 24 2/3 innings in Dodger blue, Martin posted a fantastic 1.46 ERA with a microscopic 1.13 FIP.

That left Martin entering free agency with a 3.05 ERA, 2.18 FIP, 32.9% strikeout rate, and 2.2% walk rate in 2022. Those numbers were strong enough to net him a two-year, $17.5MM deal with the Red Sox, where he figured to slot into the back of the Boston bullpen alongside fellow offseason signing Kenley Jansen. Those plans will now be put on hold for awhile, however, with Martin headed to the IL. No timetable has been announced for his return. While Martin is on the IL, John Schreiber and Josh Winckowski figure to handle late-inning duties alongside Jansen.

With Martin on the shelf, the Red Sox turn to Faria. The 29 year old did not pitch in the majors in 2022, though he has a career 4.70 ERA (90 ERA+) with a matching 4.74 FIP in 203 big league innings with a 20.9% strikeout rate a 10% walk rate. After spending 2022 in the minors with the Twins, where he struggled to a 7.48 ERA in 43 1/3 innings of work, Faria signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox back in February.

Mills was acquired from the Royals in a trade this winter, but was shut down last month with elbow inflammation. He has a career 6.21 ERA in 42 big league innings, albeit with a much more palatable 3.84 FIP.

Red Sox Sign Jake Faria To Minor League Contract

By Mark Polishuk | February 4, 2023 at 4:16pm CDT

The Red Sox have signed right-hander Jake Faria to a minor league deal, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links). The contract includes an invitation to Boston’s big league Spring Training camp, and a guaranteed $735K salary if Faria makes the active roster.

Since the start of the 2019 season, Faria has pitched only 51 1/3 MLB innings — 32 2/3 frames with the Diamondbacks in 2021, and 18 2/3 innings split between the Rays and Brewers in 2019. In between those stints in the majors, Faria also pitched at the Triple-A level with the Angels in 2021 and with the Twins last season, with a cumulative 6.64 ERA over 80 innings over the last two years.

It has been a tough ride for Faria in recent years, after he came up through Tampa Bay’s farm system with a lot of promise, and had a quick start to his MLB career with a solid 3.43 ERA over 86 2/3 innings in his 2017 rookie season. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom was working in the Rays’ front office during Faria’s tenure in Tampa, so the minor league deal will give Bloom a chance to see first-hand if Faria can recapture any of that old form.

Not counting those 2017 numbers, Faria otherwise has a 5.65 ERA and underwhelming strikeout and walk rates over 116 1/3 innings as a Major League pitcher. Home runs have been an issue, as Faria has allowed 19 homers in that limited 116 1/3 inning sample size. While Faria has still regularly worked as a starter at Triple-A, he has mostly been utilized as a reliever in the majors since 2018, so the Red Sox likely view him as a multi-inning reliever at best if he can win a job in their bullpen.

Twins Sign Danny Coulombe, Jake Faria

By Sean Bavazzano | December 1, 2021 at 9:38pm CDT

The Twins have signed a pair of pitchers to minor league contracts, tweets Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com. Left-hander Danny Coulombe and right-hander Jake Faria will join the Twins organization with invitations to Spring Training.

Coulombe should be the more familiar name among Minnesota fans, as the 32-year-old pitched for the team in both 2020 and 2021. The reunion comes on the heels of the lefty being non-tendered yesterday, but serves as a reminder that a non-tender hardly spells the end of a player’s time with an organization. Across 34 innings last season the veteran pitched to a 3.67 ERA, with the strongest command of his career (5% walk rate) and a host of roughly league average peripherals.

The 28-year-old Faria, meanwhile, contributed to a rocky Diamondbacks bullpen last season before being cut loose in late September. Through 32 innings Faria pitched to a 5.51 ERA, with the chief endorsement of his season being that his walk rate dipped to a personal-best 8.4%. For the Twins, signing Faria serves as a no-risk gamble on a player who regularly served as a starter in the minors and has some track of record of success during his time with the Rays.

Jake Faria Elects Free Agency

By Anthony Franco | September 22, 2021 at 12:21pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced last night that Jake Faria has cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. Arizona designated him for assignment over the weekend.

It’s possible Faria latches on elsewhere in the coming days, but it seems likelier the move brings an end to his 2021 campaign. There are a little less than two weeks to play in the regular season, and Faria is ineligible for postseason play since he’s been let go after August 31. The 28-year-old will presumably field minor league offers with Spring Training invitations from clubs this winter.

Faria began this season on a minors deal with his hometown Angels. He didn’t make it to the big leagues in Anaheim but signed a major league contract with the D-Backs shortly after being released in mid-June. Faria spent the next three months in the desert, posting a 5.51 ERA across 32 2/3 innings (all but three of his appearances coming in relief). The righty threw a decent amount of strikes, but he posted below-average swinging strike and ground-ball rates.

It has been a few seasons since we’ve seen Faria at his best. He broke into the majors with an impressive 3.43 ERA/4.26 SIERA across 86 2/3 frames with the Rays in 2017. He hasn’t been able to consistently build off that promising rookie showing in the years since, owning just a 5.65 ERA since the start of the 2018 season. Faria has a more consistent track record of productivity in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.99 ERA over five seasons with an impressive 27.9% strikeout rate.

Diamondbacks Designate Jake Faria, Select Ildemaro Vargas

By Mark Polishuk | September 19, 2021 at 10:22am CDT

The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Jake Faria has been designated for assignment. Faria will be replaced on the active roster by utilityman Ildemaro Vargas, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Reno.

The move essentially bookends Faria’s tenure in Arizona, as Vargas was DFA’ed to create roster space when Faria was signed back in June. Faria was inconsistent over 32 2/3 innings with the D’Backs, posting a 5.51 ERA and only a 20.8% strikeout rate.

Now in his fourth MLB season, Faria tried to shuffle the deck by using his curveball more often, though it didn’t lead to any great difference in results. After some promising numbers in his 2017 rookie season with the Rays, Faria has since posted a 5.65 ERA over 116 1/3 innings with Tampa, Milwaukee, and Arizona, and he also spent some time with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate earlier this year.

Vargas has already appeared for three different teams during the 2021 season, amassing 55 total plate appearances over 25 games with the Cubs, Pirates, and D’Backs. The veteran utilityman has spent much of his MLB career with Arizona, though he bounced around the league via three different waiver claims in the last year before returning to the Diamondbacks in June.

Diamondbacks Sign Jake Faria, Designate Ildemaro Vargas

By Mark Polishuk | June 19, 2021 at 5:31pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced the signing of right-hander Jake Faria. Utilityman Ildemaro Vargas has been designated for assignment to open up a roster spot for Faria.

Faria had been pitching for the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate before he was released earlier this week. He’ll now join a reeling D’Backs team that is looking for all the pitching help it can find, though Faria has only a 5.65 ERA over 36 2/3 innings with Triple-A Salt Lake City. The righty does have a 28.05% strikeout rate, but Faria has been hurt by the long ball, with seven homers allowed over those 36 2/3 frames.

Home runs and walks became an increasingly big problem for Faria over 170 1/3 MLB innings with the Rays and Brewers from 2017-19, as he posted a 1.3 HR/9 and 10.4% walk rate to go along with a 4.54 ERA and 20.9% strikeout rate. A pretty well-regarded arm during his way up the ladder in Tampa Bay’s farm system, the Brewers acquired Faria for Jesus Aguilar in July 2019 but Faria didn’t pitch well during the rest of that season with Milwaukee and he didn’t see any action in 2020.

Vargas has become a regular on the DFA wire, as this marks the fourth time in less than three months that the 29-year-old has been designated. Vargas began his season with the Cubs, who DFA’ed him twice and then lost him on a waiver claim to the Pirates, and Pittsburgh then traded Vargas to Arizona at the beginning of June. Vargas spent his first three-plus MLB seasons with the Diamondbacks before they designated him for assignment last August and the Twins claimed him away.

In the midst of this flurry of moves, Vargas has only hit .167/.211/.245 over 109 PA since the start of the 2020 season. Known more for his versatility than his bat anyways, Vargas has played mostly second base and third base at the big league level but he has also seen some action at four other positions.

Angels To Sign Jake Faria To Minor-League Contract

By Anthony Franco | December 6, 2020 at 7:51pm CDT

The Angels are set to sign right-hander Jake Faria to a minor-league deal, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter link). Presumably, he’ll receive an invitation to spring training.

Faria looked like a potential long-term rotation piece with the Rays back in 2017. He broke into the league with 86.2 innings of 3.43 ERA/4.12 FIP ball that season. He couldn’t build upon that success the following year, however. Faria’s strikeout and walk rates each went in the wrong direction and he struggled to a 5.40 ERA in 2018. He was bumped into a bullpen role in a 2019 season split between Tampa Bay and Milwaukee but continued to struggle. The Brewers didn’t bring him back to the majors in 2020, releasing him in September.

Recent struggles notwithstanding, there’s little risk for the Angels in giving the 27-year-old another opportunity. Throughout his MLB career, Faria has generated whiffs at nearly a league average rate. His fastball velocity ticked up from 92.2 MPH in 2018 to 93.7 MPH the following season thanks to his bullpen conversion. Faria could plausibly compete for a job as a starter or as a reliever for a Los Angeles club perennially on the hunt for pitching. There’s not a ton of certainty behind Dylan Bundy, Andrew Heaney and Griffin Canning in the rotation. The Angels also non-tendered five relievers earlier this week, so they’ll surely be on the hunt for bullpen help this winter.

In addition to the Angels, Faria drew the attention of one of his former clubs. The Rays had interest in bringing him back on a minor-league deal. It seems a tougher road to crack the major league pitching staff in Tampa Bay, though, likely factoring into Faria’s decision to instead sign with L.A. The right-hander is also a Southern California native, and he’ll now look to return to the majors with his hometown club.

Rays Notes: Franco, Snell, Faria

By Mark Polishuk | December 5, 2020 at 5:20pm CDT

Tests on Wander Franco’s biceps and shoulder area didn’t reveal any structural damage, the Rays told reporters (including MLB.com’s Juan Toribio). The star prospect was brought back to the United States from the Dominican Winter League due to soreness and inflammation, though all signs point to Franco being ready to roll for Spring Training. As a precaution, Franco won’t play in any more DWL games.

Widely regarded as the sport’s top prospect, Franco doesn’t turn 20 years old until March and hasn’t played any organized minor league ball above the high-A level. That said, Rays evaluators did get a first-hand look at Franco at the club’s alternate training site during the season, and it wouldn’t be out of the question to see Franco make his Major League debut before 2021 is through.

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