The Cleveland Guardians knew they needed to bolster their rotation in the offseason.
Once again, they took a bit of a chance on a promising arm.
The Guardians acquired RHP Luis L. Ortiz from the Pittsburgh Pirates, and manager Stephen Vogt couldn’t be more excited about this move.
When asked about his young hurler, Vogt talked about how he gave them a tough time last season and gave them a glimpse of what he could do in this league:
“He dominated us when we faced him last year,” said Vogt. “He has big stuff. He’s a presence on the mound, and even just talking with some of the people that know him, this kid can be really, really good and he’s motivated.”
Ortiz dominated the Guardians late in August, throwing 6.0 scoreless frames.
He issued three walks, gave up one hit, and struck out five in that game.
While mostly coming out of the bullpen, Ortiz also proved that he can be a reliable starter when given an opportunity.
However, he has some things to work on.
He relies too much on his impressive velocity, which can obviously lead to some hard contact as well.
Then again, the Guardians are known for their great pitching coaching staff and how well they develop their hurlers.
Ortiz is just 26 years old and just starting to come together; he’s far from a finished product.
Judging by the skipper’s words, he fully expects him to have a featured role next season, and with his talent and proper coaching and development, there’s no reason to believe he can’t become a legit top-of-the-rotation starter for this team right out of the gate.
NEXT: Stephen Vogt Reveals Injury Update On David Fry
