Proper-handed reliever Jose Cuas went unclaimed on waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, MLBTR has discovered. He was initially designated for project again on Dec. 23, however the holidays freeze up the waiver/DFA course of yearly, resulting in extended stints in limbo for a handful of gamers. Cuas will follow the Phillies as a non-roster participant and be in large league camp this spring as he hopes to compete for an additional look within the majors.
Cuas, 30, was a September waiver declare out of the Blue Jays group. He didn’t pitch for the Phillies through the season after becoming a member of the group. He logged a mixed 16 1/3 innings between the Jays and Cubs, working to a 7.71 ERA in that small pattern. Cuas has pitched 119 1/3 innings within the large leagues and sports activities a profession 4.37 ERA with a 22% strikeout price, a 12.9% stroll price and a stable 45.2% ground-ball price.
From 2022-23, Cuas pitched 103 innings for the Royals and Cubs — the primary large league expertise of his profession. Throughout that point, the previous infielder notched a tidy 3.84 ERA whereas fanning 22.2% of his opponents in opposition to a 12.5% stroll price. In elements of 4 Triple-A seasons, the sidearming righty carries a 4.12 ERA, 27.4% strikeout price and 10.3% stroll price.
Cuas journey in baseball has been one of many least conventional you’ll encounter, as chronicled at nice size by Alec Lewis of The Athletic a pair years again in a must-read piece for followers of gamers endure in depth minor league grinds. An Eleventh-round draft choose by the Brewers as an infielder again in 2015, he was out of baseball a number of years later and dealing as a FedEx driver through the day whereas coaching along with his brother after darkish in freezing climate. Cuas had washed out as a hitter and briefly tinkered with a transfer to the mound in 2018, however he was launched by the Brewers midseason.
Cuas pitched indie ball in 2018 and ’19, parlaying a powerful run within the Atlantic League right into a minor league look with the D-backs. In 2020, a pair months after the league shut down as a result of pandemic, he was launched. Certainly one of his former D-backs coaches reached out to get Cuas a glance within the Dominican Winter League the next offseason. It didn’t result in a giant league deal. He went again to the Atlantic League — this time catching the eye of the Royals, who ultimately have him his MLB debut in 2022.
Now sporting greater than two full years of massive league service, Cuas has pitched in every of the previous three MLB seasons. He’s clearly but to solidify himself as a constant contributor, however the mere undeniable fact that he’s reached this level is considerably unbelievable, given his transfer from the infield to the mound, a number of stints in unbiased ball, and a number of releases from large league organizations.
With the Phillies, Cuas might must bide his time earlier than a possibility arises. Philadelphia has a really veteran bullpen, with younger Orion Kerkering (one yr of MLB service) and lefty Tanner Banks (2.092 years) the one members underneath 4 full years of massive league service. Kerkering and Banks are the one two members who may even be optioned, however they’re each locked into spots after good 2024 seasons. Cuas will be a part of lefty Nick Vespi and righty Cody Stashak as gamers with some notable large league expertise who’ll be non-roster invitees in Phillies camp.
