After signing a minor league deal to return to Cleveland this past offseason , Triple-A right-handed reliever Pedro Avila has had his time with the organization cut short.
On Wednesday, July 1, news broke that Avila, a 29-year-old hailing from Caracas, Venezuela, was being released by the Cleveland Guardians after opting out of his contract. The move comes just a day after the front office promoted the No. 21-ranked Guardians prospect, Justin Campbell, to Triple-A Columbus after a strong start to the season. Campbell was then replaced by Braylon Doughty , the No. 4 prospect, down in Double-A Akron.
Avila was holding onto a spot that the Guardians' front office viewed as important for long-term development of some of the organization's better prospects.
Across 15 games played and 13 starts, Avila tossed a 7.50 ERA and 1.767 WHIP with a 3-7 overall record. He wasn't showing too good of flashes in any area of his game, striking out just 49 batters, while allowing 74 hits, 53 runs, 14 home runs and 32 walks.
Unfortunately, he wasn't limiting hard-hit contact, walks or hits, and wasn't striking out batters often enough.
Playing for the San Diego Padres from 2019 through 2024, Avila was traded to Cleveland in the middle of that last campaign. Initially, it looked like he had found a new home, posting a 3.25 ERA across 50 games.
The front office, though, decided to go another direction as they ended up designating him for assignment in the offseason.
He would go on to play with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in international play for a year before returning to the States this past offseason.
Jul 29, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Guardians pitcher Pedro Avila (60) delivers in the eighth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Opting out of his deal, Avila will likely draw at least a bit of interest, especially from an organization that is looking to add an older arm to their bullpen. He could also end up signing another minor league deal and attempt to work his way back up to major-league consideration.
The move on Cleveland's end signals that they are focusing on investing in it's homegrown talent, with countless internal moves occurring at the pitching position within the farm system.
The Guardians need some help at the major league level in the bullpen, and if they can begin to evaluate the talent they have down in Columbus a bit more, they will be better equipped to make moves with the deadline approaching.
While they may not go all-out, trading bodies away, they could ultimately give guys like Campbell, Austin Peterson or Andrew Walters a chance to flash their talent out of the bullpen as the season approaches it's conclusion.
For now, the front office continues to show that they aren't afraid to shake things up at a moment's notice this year, a theme that has become somewhat of a newfound identity.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/guardians/onsi as Triple-A Veteran Reliever Pedro Avila Released by Guardians .
