Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies signed pitcher Erenesto Frieri to a minor league deal worth $850K in the majors. Upon the departure of closer Ken Giles, the Phillies are in need of a closer and Frieri could be a possibility.
Frieri posted great numbers including a consistently fantastic strikeouts per 9 rate, throughout his first few years in the major leagues in San Diego and after getting dealt to Anaheim in 2012 where he would serve as closer. Though he would eventually hit a brick wall in 2014 posting a 7.34 ERA between Anaheim and Pittsburgh where he was eventually sent in the middle of the season. While he wasn't his early form, he was at least better last season in Tampa Bay, posting a 4.63 ERA.
A good reclamation project can always serve this team well in it's current state. The dream scenario is Frieri makes the major league roster and provides great late inning work that could possibly translate into a nice trade piece at the deadline. Though at the very least, he's worth a look at Clearwater to see if he can capture some of the glory of his first few seasons.
