KANSAS CITY, Kan. – The Kansas City T-Bones announced that they have re-signed shortstop Vladimir Frias to a contract for the 2016 season. 

Frias, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound switch-hitter from Los Alcanzzas, Dominican Republic, played in 79 games at shortstop for Kansas City during the 2015 season. He batted a career-high .331 with 90 hits, five home runs, 27 RBIs, 40 runs scored and tied a career best with 23 stolen bases. Defensively, Frias had a .973 fielding percentage with 10 errors and a team-high 243 assists in 371 chances. He became the first T-Bones player ever to make ESPN SportsCenter’s “Top Plays” twice in a season. (You can watch one of those plays here.) After the season he was selected as the team’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.

“Vladdy took his game to the next level last year, going from the most exciting shortstop in the league to the best shortstop in the league,” said T-Bones manager John Massarelli. “He also turned the corner offensively, and has become a complete player.”

Frias has played in 170 games for Kansas City during two seasons. He has 180 hits, including 29 doubles, 60 RBIs, 83 runs scored and 46 stolen bases, which is good for third on the team’s all-time career list. 

San Francisco selected Frias in the 30th round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft out of Tennessee Wesleyan College. Frias, who reached triple-A Fresno in 2009 and has played in the Chicago Cubs’ organization, also, is a career .258 hitter with 519 hits, 87 doubles, 17 triples, 24 home runs, 192 RBIs and 122 stolen bases in eight professional seasons.

The T-Bones now have 18 players signed for 2016, including 13 returning, so far, from a 2015 season that saw the club finish second in the American Association’s Central Division with a 49-50 record. The T-Bones were in the wild-card chase until the final week of the regular season.

The T-Bones open the 2016 regular season at home on May 19 against Texas.