Guardians Sign Former Collegiate Pitcher To Minor League Deal
The Cleveland Guardians have had a pretty silent offseason to date. The organization made a few minor deals like bringing back Austin Hedges but has yet to make a blockbuster trade as someone predicted.
They've now turned their attention over the last few days to a couple of former collegiate pitchers to add to the Cleveland farm system.
The Guardians signed RHP Rorik Maltrud to a Minor League contract for the 2024 season, according to the team's transaction report. Rorik, 23, spent the last three years playing NCAA Baseball. He was at New Mexico State from 2021-22 and pitched for the Missouri Tigers in 2023.
The Guardians have assigned Maltrud to the Arizona Complex as of January 10.
Rorik Maltrud (19) pitches as the New Mexico State Aggies face off against the Cal Baptist Lancers at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces on Friday, May 14, 2021. Nmsu Cbu 1
Rorik pitched in 41 games and started 21 one of them in college. He finished his collegiate career with an ERA of 4.87 and a 1.273 WHIP. These stats may seem a little underwhelming, but there is one area where Maltrud shines.
Throughout his collegiate career, Maltrud had impressive strikeout numbers. He had an SO9 of 12.0 at Missouri and a BB9 of 3.2 during his time in the NCAA. This type of command could translate nicely to the Major League level.
Cleveland is well-known for having one of the best pitching factories in all of baseball. Any pitcher who enters the organization has a chance to be a star and the same can be said for Rorik.
The other pitcher the team reportedly signed is Carter Spivey out of Eastern Carolina University. The Guardians have always excelled at finding talent. Maybe one of these two will be the next names to add to that list.
