The Indians added some pitching depth to the 40-man roster on Monday, acquiring right-handed pitcher Carlos Frias from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations.
To make room on the 40-man roster, the Indians designated infielder Richie Shaffer for assignment.
Frias, 27, has a career 4.50 ERA at the major-league level in 33 appearances—including 15 starts—across three seasons. He missed a significant amount of time in 2016 while dealing with a right oblique impingement that warranted two trips to the disabled list.
Shaffer was recently claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. At that time, Jesus Aguilar was designated for assignment. Now, Frias has replaced Shaffer on the 40-man roster.
Pitching depth is often a concern of many teams entering any season. The Indians, certainly, would like to protect themselves from another doomsday scenario, such as two key starters both hitting the disabled list in September. Frias has an option remaining, which gives the club some flexibility.