The Nationals have claimed left-hander Joe La Sorsa off waivers from the Rays, the team announced Thursday. La Sorsa, who was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay earlier this week, been optioned to Triple-A Rochester. The Nats had multiple 40-man vacancies after this week’s DFAs of Andres Machado and Erasmo Ramirez, so a corresponding move is not necessary. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 in Houston first reported the move.
La Sorsa, 25, made his big league debut with the Rays this month, pitching 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball with three hits and three walks with three strikeouts. He’s had a nice showing so far between Double-A (three innings) and Triple-A (21 innings) so far in 2023, pitching to a combined 3.38 ERA with a 7.5% walk rate. La Sorsa’s 14.2% strikeout rate is well below average, checking in at less than half the 31.7% clip he showed between High-A and Double-A just last season. It’s a generally small sample, though, and La Sorsa’s 13% swinging-strike rate in Triple-A certainly seems to portend an eventual uptick in the strikeout department.
While La Sorsa has never ranked as a top prospect, he’s a controllable lefty with a nice minor league track record who has all three minor league option years remaining. He’s pitched 203 2/3 innings of minor league ball with a 2.87 ERA, fanning nearly four and a half times as many hitters — about a quarter of his total opponents — as he’s walked in that time. For a Nationals club with little stability in the bullpen, he’s an interesting potential long-term pickup who could eventually carve out a regular role in the relief corps.
Not surprised La Sorsa was picked up. I am surprised he was the one to go though from the Rays bullpen considering the arms they currently have and that he has a bit of upside.
Not surprised at all with the Rays. They play musical chairs like no other when it comes to the back end of their pen. Every year they cycle through dozens of guys to fill a few games role. Chase Anderson, Ben heller are a few others off the top of head. Plenty more to follow.
Yeah especially after Beeks’meltdown.
Interesting facial hair!
He needs to apply some Happyjack Mange Medicine to help fill in the voids.
That is a quality grab for the Nats.
Surprised my rays let him go he looked decent plus he’s a lefty probably know something we all don’t per usual
Agree with many others here…surprised the Rays let him go, not surprised someone picked him up, and this is a no risk, high potential reward pick up for the Nats. Dude can pitch, and he is relatively young. Relievers tend to come and go these days, still surprised the Rays let him walk.
His great grandpa Curly Joe Lasorsa was honored to be named as a member of the 3 Stooges after the death of Joe Besser.
This is exactly the kind of move the Nats should be making this year. Could catch lightning in a bottle like with Finnegan.
Not only was it just a good pickup, we have no lefties in the pen so there’s an immediate opportunity for him