I got the chance to talk to Chicago Cubs minor league catcher David Frietas just in time. On May 27 he got the call from the team that he’d need to pack his bags in Double-A Tennessee because he was heading one more step closer to the big leagues, when he got the call up to join the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.
It’s just one more stop for a guy who can’t seem to stay in one place very long. Freitas’ career in the minor leagues so far can be described by one phrase; well-traveled. Freitas has played for three different organizations and for nine different minor league teams in six years.
“Being on different teams and different organizations means that people want me,” Freitas said. “I’m bringing something to the table that nobody else does. My hard work and the things I do in the offseason to prepare myself every year come into it. Any way possible I can make myself a better player, I try to do it. Hopefully the Cubs see me in the big leagues some day.”
ROSTER MOVE (2/2): C David Freitas (@DavidFr17520120) has been transferred to Triple-A @IowaCubs. #Cubs pic.twitter.com/ETfJdP6wPq
— Smokies on Radio (@SmokiesOnRadio) May 27, 2016
Freitas was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 15th round of the 2010 Major League draft. Two years later he’d worked his way up to High-A ball with the Potomac Nationals when the call came to move. He’d been traded to the Oakland Athletics for catcher Ken Suzuki.
This would not be the first time Freitas would have his name called in a trade. Just two years later he turned out to be the “player to be named later” in a deal between the Athletics and Baltimore Orioles.
“The first time it was really exciting to try something different,” Freitas said. “It’s different everywhere, but in the end it’s still baseball. We play the same game just in a different uniform. Some teams treat you better than others and the Cubs treat me pretty good. I’m happy about it.”
It wasn’t Freitas’ last move. The Orioles left him exposed in last year’s Rule 5 draft and he would be changing jerseys again, but the 27-year-old catcher hopes this is his last organizational move for a while.
“I’m working a lot with M.J. (Smokies manager Mark Johnson) with my throwing and my set-up with runners on, my receiving the outside pitch,” Freitas said. “I’m pretty good everywhere else. Him being a first-rounder and playing in the big leagues, I can’t say ‘no’ to the guy.”
Freitas' Big Night Leads Smokies to Win, 7-6: 1B David Freitas was the catalyst for the Smokies' offense on T… https://t.co/5Keiadc7KP
— JoeCamel (@JoeCamel_Sports) May 27, 2016
Johnson’s assessment of his young catcher is equally favorable. When the season began Freitas was the odd-man out, getting few at-bats as Taylor Davis played the majority of the games behind the plate. When Davis was called up to Class AA Iowa, Freitas finally got his shot to play more.
“He (Freitas) is always asking questions and asking good questions, about the other team’s hitters and pitchers,” Johnson said. “He’s a pro’s pro. You hope everybody’s like that. You want everybody to be coachable. That’s all you can ask is to have guys like that who want to get better. It’s fun to see him every day and how much he wants more information.”
Freitas, like every Smokies and Cubs catcher, seems to move around the field. He’s worked some at first base this season, but hopes to keep his spot in the battery.
“The more I play, the better I feel usually,” Freitas said. “The more I get in there, the more at-bats I get, the more time behind the plate getting to know my pitchers, I need that.”
Freitas is going to get it as the Cubs seem in a hurry to get him acclimated to big league pitching. In Iowa he’ll be catching from some of the best arms in the farm system including Ryan Williams, Eric Jokisch, C.J. Edwards, Feliz Pena, Rob Zastryzny and the best pitcher I’d seen in play at Smokies Park since Chris Archer and Andrew Cashner, right-hander Pierce Johnson.
The problem for Freitas now is the same one he had when the season began with the Smokies. How will he get chances behind the plate with Taylor Davis and Willson Contreras ahead of him? Freitas might end up playing more first base than he’d like before the season is through.
