Christian

Friedrich

The Legends had an opening with a couple of their players latching on with major league teams. Friedrich, best known for his time with the Rockies, hasn’t pitched for a major league affiliate since 2017. The 33-year-old has pitched with the independent New Britain Bees and in the KBO since then, but hasn’t given up on keeping his career alive.

The 32-year-old southpaw was a first round pick of the Rockies back in 2008 and hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2016. He spent the 2019 campaign pitching for the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization where he posted a 2.75 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 56/22 K/BB ratio across 72 innings -- following that up with a 63 inning stint with the New Britain Bees in the independent Atlantic League where he registered a 3.00 ERA and 63/15 K/BB ratio. It’s a nice low-cost depth signing for the White Sox.

Friedrich was pitching with the New Britain Bees of the independent Atlantic League and even enjoying some success. The 31-year-old was once a highly-regarding pitching prospect with the Rockies, but things just didn’t work out as hoped. He put up a 5.37 ERA in 296 2/3 innings in the majors and hasn’t appeared since 2016 with the Padres.

Pomeranz was the key piece in last season’s Ubaldo Jimenez deal, but he has struggled to find consistency in the Rockies rotation. He’s 0-2 with a 4.70 ERA on the season and has been dealing with a quadriceps contusion. Christian Friedrich will stick with the team and assume Pomeranz’s spot in the rotation for the time being.

The Rockies have a vacancy in the rotation after sending Guillermo Moscoso down to the minors over the weekend. Friedrich has fallen off the radar in recent seasons due to injuries and ineffectiveness, but the 24-year-old southpaw has an impressive 3.00 ERA and 27/4 K/BB ratio in 30 innings over his first five starts at the Triple-A level this year. There’s some NL-only appeal here if he joins the big club.

As expected, Friedrich will make his major league debut Wednesday night against the Padres. Once considered one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the game, the 24-year-old has found himself back on the radar by posting a 3.00 ERA and 27/4 K/BB ratio across 30 innings in five starts with the Sky Sox this season. He may not be up to stay, but give him a spin in NL-only leagues.

Of course, the Padres aren’t providing pitchers with much of a test right now. Still, Friedrich looked pretty good today and got plenty of swings and misses on his way to seven strikeouts. He earned himself another start at least, and since it would come against the Giants, he doesn’t look like a bad play in NL-only leagues.

Friedrich has 17 strikeouts through two outings. Sure, they’ve come against the Padres and Giants, but that’s still awfully impressive, and what was supposed to be a short stint in the majors now seems poised to turn into something more. He’s fine to use in NL-only leagues with the Mariners next on the slate. We wouldn’t be in any hurry to grab him in mixed leagues.

Friedrich was considered one of the top left-handed pitching prospects in the game following the 2009 season, but his star has faded over the past two seasons due to injury and ineffectiveness. Now 24 years old, he posted an ugly 5.00 ERA and 103/43 K/BB ratio over 133 innings this season at the Double-A level. The Rockies aren’t ready to give up on his talent, but he may never reach the potential many thought he had just two years ago.

Friedrich struck out five and walked three. He served up 10 hits, two of which were three-run homers off the bat of Mark Trumbo. Friedrich has now allowed at least five runs in three of his past five outings, and is the owner of a 5.85 ERA and 1.62 WHIP through 40 innings. He’s off the radar outside of exceptionally deep NL-only leagues.