Royals Add to Rotation; Sign Lefty Frias
GUELPH - The Guelph Royals Baseball Club is excited to announce today the signing of left-handed starting pitcher Antonio Frias.
Frias, 28, joins the Royals after pitcher in the LMBP, Veneuzella's top baseball league.
Prior to pitching in the LMPB, the native of Panama City, Panama pitched in Mexico, where, in 2024, he went a combined 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in 14 appearences and four starts.
The lefty also pitched for Schamburg in the Frontier League, where he went 2-2 with a 5.82 ERA in seven starts, striking out 42 batters in 38 innings in the process.
The graduate of Faulker University dominated the NAIA from 2019 to 2021, striking out 300 batters in 201 innings pitched, to go along with a 2.78 ERA.
Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said he is thrilled to add Frias to the rotation.
"Frias is a guy I have known about for four years now, since his dominant career in Faulkner. Since his time in college, he has shown to be an effective pitcher at all levels, including in Mexico, where pitching is very diffcult. He throws hard from the left side and has recorded eye-popping strikeout rates at all levels.
"I am super excited to have him join our rotation that already includes Jacob Kush and is about to include Claudio Custodio. I truly think this is a championship calbire rotation and it allows us to move Edgar Garcia back into the closer's role. It also allows us to move a now-healthy Kyle Thomas to the bullpen as well, where we think he can bridge us to Garcia late in games."