Proper-hander Jaime Barria is finalizing a cope with a crew within the Korea Baseball Group, in line with MLBTR’s Steve Adams. It’s not but clear which membership Barria is understanding a cope with. Barria is presently within the Guardians group on a minor league deal nevertheless it’s frequent for groups to launch gamers with the intention to pursue abroad alternatives, usually in alternate for money issues from the participant’s new membership.
Barria, 27, signed with the Angels as a world free agent out of Panama and made his large league debut with the membership again in 2018 throughout his age-21 season. The righty loved a robust rookie marketing campaign with a 3.41 ERA and 4.58 FIP throughout 26 begins for the Halos that yr, though he suffered a sophomore hunch the next season as he pitched to a 6.42 ERA in 19 appearances (13 begins) whereas swinging between the bullpen and rotation in the course of the 2019 marketing campaign. Barria would keep in that swing function for the subsequent two seasons, pitching to roughly common outcomes (106 ERA+) throughout 89 innings of labor throughout that point.
The 2022 season noticed Barria pitch in one thing nearer to a pure reduction function, with only one begin and 5 outings the place he threw greater than fifty pitches. It was maybe one of the best season of his profession, as he posted a wonderful 2.61 ERA that was 54% higher than league common by measure of ERA+ to go together with a 4.11 xERA and 4.13 SIERA, all of which had been profession greatest figures for the righty. Sadly, issues took a flip for the more severe for Barria final yr as his residence run price spiked, leaving him with a 5.68 ERA and 6.07 FIP in 82 1/3 innings of labor throughout 34 appearances, six of which had been begins.
After that troublesome 2023 marketing campaign, Barria was outrighted off the Angels roster and elected free company, main him to his aforementioned minor league pact with the Guardians. He’s remained in multi-inning reduction throughout his time at Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate in Columbus, and whereas his 4.81 ERA in 13 appearances is nothing to write down residence about he’s additionally proven a shocking proclivity for strikeouts this yr, punching out batters at a 28.1% clip throughout his 24 1/3 innings of labor.
It’s attainable that uptick in strikeout price is what caught the eye of a crew abroad, and Barria now figures to move to Korea in hopes of re-establishing himself as a possible large league possibility. KBO groups are solely allowed to hold a most of two foreign-born pitchers on their rosters, which means that if Barria’s new crew has already reached that restrict they’ll should half methods with one other arm to make room for the righty.
