Injuries & Moves: Guards ink Anchia, Fr¨ªas to Minors deals
This page will be updated throughout the offseason to track all of the Guardians' moves, along with the progress of any injured players.
LATEST NEWS
Jan. 2: C Jake Anchia and RHP Luis Fr¨ªas signed to Minor League contracts with invitations to Spring Training
Anchia, 27, has spent the past three seasons at Double-A Arkansas. The Miami, Fla., native was Seattle¡¯s seventh-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Nova Southeastern University (Fort Lauderdale).
Fr¨ªas, 26, split 2024 between the Diamondbacks and Blue Jays organizations, posting a combined ERA of 3.67 in 31 relief outings at Triple-A. He made 11 combined appearances at the Major League level between the two stops around a two-month first half IL stint (right shoulder inflammation). He appeared in 29 MLB games with the D-backs in 2023 and recorded a postseason ERA of 1.35 in seven relief appearances during Arizona¡¯s run to the National League pennant. Fr¨ªas was originally signed by Arizona as an international amateur free agent in 2015 and was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays last August.
Dec. 11: Guardians re-sign free agent RHP Shane Bieber to one-year contract with player option
Bieber wasn't expected to be back in Cleveland after the 2024 season, but after a season-ending elbow surgery in April, it made sense for the former AL Cy Young winner to come back to the only organization he's ever known to get healthy. He can use the '25 season to prove his procedure didn't cause any regression on the field and he can then decide if he wants to test the free-agent market again next winter. More >>
Dec. 10: Guardians add RHP Luis Ortiz, LHP Josh Hartle, LHP Michael Kennedy, OF Nick Mitchell in trades with Pirates and Blue Jays; lose 2B Andrés Giménez, RHP Nick Sandlin
The Guardians made two separate trades to bring in some starting pitching depth. Ortiz is expected to be immediately added to Cleveland's Major League rotation, while Hartle and Kennedy are a few years away from their expected debuts. But the Guardians couldn't have gotten this trio from Pittsburgh without first making a trade with Toronto. Cleveland sent Gim¨¦nez and Sandlin to the Blue Jays for Mitchell and infielder Spencer Horwitz. But Horwitz was only a Guardian for a few hours before he was used to bring back the hurlers in a trade with the Pirates. More >>
INJURY UPDATES
UTL David Fry (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: Summer 2025
Fry underwent elbow surgery on Oct. 30 to repair a ligament in his throwing elbow. He'll be able to get back as a designated hitter in six to eight months, but he'll need more time to be healthy enough to throw as a position player. The Guardians expect him to return to those activities in roughly 12 months, which would be after the '25 season. (Last updated: Nov. 4)
RHP Daniel Espino (right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff injury; No. 10 on Guardians' Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return: 2025
Espino underwent surgery to repair his right shoulder capsule and rotator cuff injuries on March 13. He stayed in Goodyear, Ariz., to work through his rehab. (Last updated: Oct. 20)
LHP Sam Hentges (left shoulder injury)
Expected return: 2026
After spending parts of August and September getting a handful of opinions from different doctors, Hentges determined that the best route was surgery. He was scheduled to repair an injury to his left capsule and labrum on Sept. 18 and the recovery window is expected to be 12-14 months, which likely means he'll miss all of the 2025 season. (Last updated: Sept. 11)
RHP Trevor Stephan (UCL surgery)
Expected return: 2025
When Stephan's elbow was examined for discomfort on Feb. 28, a deep bone bruise was discovered. But after it continued to nag him, other opinions were needed. It was determined that his UCL is not providing adequate stability, which caused even more pain in the elbow.
Stephan underwent surgery on March 27 and was given a 12- to 16-month timetable for recovery. (Last updated: March 28)