Right-hander Luis Frias claimed off waivers by Blue Jays

The Diamondbacks designated right-hander Luis Frías for assignment on Thursday when they claimed catcher Andrew Knizner off waivers. Per the team’s transaction tracker, Frias has been claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Frías, 26, had a career 6.55 ERA in 54 appearances. His best season came in 2023 when he pitched to a 4.06 ERA in 29 appearances and a member of the bullpen in their postseason run. He was originally signed as a third baseman by Arizona in 2015 out of the Dominican Republic but then converted to a pitcher two years later.

Originally a starter in the minors, his 40-man roster clock necessitated a move to the bullpen to get his arm to the major leagues. He has an electric arm, featuring a fastball that averages 96 MPH with a cutter and a slider. Unfortunately, there were too many moments where he simply could not handle key situations and was eventually pushed off the roster with the emergence of Bryce Jarvis and Justin Martinez in the bullpen.

He spent two months on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation after he originally was going to get optioned to Triple-A following a string of poor performances. His last pitch with the Diamondbacks came on April 16. Following his stint on the IL, he was optioned to Triple-A Reno. After 21 appearances with Reno, the team elected to cut bait with the talented but struggling right-hander.

Frías will get a new opportunity with the Blue Jays for the final six weeks of the season. Toronto will have an opportunity to evaluate a talented arm that has been inconsistent at best. He’ll be out of options next season, so it will be interesting to see how his arc in Toronto plays out.

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