The Los Angeles Angels signed reliever Joey Lucchesi, then release him, but now he's back in the Halos bullpen.
Reliever Joey Lucchesi is learning what life is like when you jump on the Los Angeles Angels’ pitching merry-go-round, as the Angels re-signed him to a minor league deal just days after releasing him, according to a new report from Anthony Franco of MLBTradeRumors.com.
Lucchesi was designated for assignment last weekend when the Angels needed a roster spot so they could promote prospect George Klassen to make a spot start. Lucchesi cleared waivers and elected free agency, but now he’s back with the Halos after a brief stint on the open market.
This isn’t all that uncommon, according to Franco, who added that it happens a lot with veterans who have the service time to refuse an outright assignment. It is somewhat surprising given that Lucchesi’s initial appearances were basically disastrous, but the Angels didn’t exactly given him a lot of time to acclimate.
Lucchesi is a competent reliever, and the Angels need those right now. He had a 3.76 ERA over 38-1/3 appearances with the San Francisco Giants last year, and Lucchesi’s ground-ball rate of 53 percent is his biggest strength. He doesn’t strike out many hitters, though, with a strikeout rate of 18.8 percent, so the Giants elected to drop him from their 40-man roster at the end of last season.
The Angels are still putting together their bullpen in the early stages of the season, and they’ve had good luck so far with relievers Chase Silseth and Sam Bachman. But they definitely have a need for another reliever who can simply get outs if Lucchesi can step into that role.
Drew Pomeranz and Brent Suter are the Angels’ left-handed options right now, but Suter has been up and down in his appearances so far. The Halos recently added Mitch Farris to their list of lefties as a long reliever, but Farris got hit hard during spring training, so he may be another placeholder as the Angels try to find reliable options for the back end of the rotation.
The Angels also have Tayler Saucedo and Angel Perdomo in the organization on minor league deals, according to Franco, and he added that Farris will probably be up and down throughout the season.
One bullpen spot where the Angels seem to have found stability is at closer, where Jordan Romero has excelled. Kirby Yates is currently on a rehab assignment after experiencing knee issues in camp, so he’ll add depth when he does return.