Cleveland Guardians right-hander Luis L. Ortiz was the primary piece the team got back for second baseman Andrés Giménez during the offseason.
They traded the three-time Gold Glover and reliever Nick Sandlin to Toronto for Spencer Horwitz and prospects, then flipped the latter to Pittsburgh for Ortiz and prospects.
The big righty posted a 3.32 ERA with the Pirates last year and has a live arm.
His spring with Cleveland wasn’t particularly good, though, as he posted a 10.13 ERA and walked 14 in 18.2 innings.
On Monday, he was pummeled for seven runs in 4.2 frames in his regular season debut, walking four and conceding nine hits.
Evidently, command and control are still issues.
Guardians analyst Justin Lada, however, implies that some patience might be required.
“He kind of walked the entire city of Phoenix in spring, which is a bit alarming because he isn’t a high-strikeout guy and can’t afford to be walking a lot of dudes,” he said in Matt Fontana’s show.
Indeed, Ortiz has had a hard time locating since landing in Cleveland.
He settled in after a similar problem in Pittsburgh last year, though, which is why Lada said he wouldn’t be surprised if he eventually bounced back.
He even goes as far as stating that the Guardians and their excellent track record of spotting and developing pitching talent deserve the benefit of the doubt.
“I think you have to give Cleveland the benefit of the doubt. I’ve heard a lot of people during this offseason say, ‘When the Guardians acquire a pitcher like that, I always think about what is the other team missing.’ He started last season slow with walks, back when he was in the bullpen, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts slow with control and command and picks up throughout the year.”
How do you feel about Luis Ortiz after a rough spring training? #GuardsBall
"He kind of walked the whole city of Phoenix in spring, which is a little bit alarming…"
–@JL_Baseball pic.twitter.com/EQRnXOtETo
— Matt Fontana Show (@MattFontanaShow) April 1, 2025
The Guardians won’t give up on a talent like Ortiz after just one regular season start.
He needs to show some progress eventually, though.
NEXT: Guardians Drop Series Opener In San Diego As Luis Ortiz Implodes
