The Angels announced this afternoon that they’ve designated southpaw Joey Lucchesi for assignment. Right-hander George Klassen has been selected from the minors to replace Lucchesi on the active and 40-man rosters.
Lucchesi, 33 in June, has been in the majors for parts of eight seasons at this point. The veteran southpaw began his career back in 2018 as a starter for the Padres, but after two seasons of solid enough back-of-the-rotation production (97 ERA+, 4.24 FIP) he fell off the map somewhat. He made just three MLB appearances in 2020 and was dealt to the Mets in the three-team Joe Musgrove deal prior to the 2021 season. As a member of the Mets, Lucchesi was used as an optionable starter who spent much of his time in the minors. He spent four years in the organization (including a 2022 campaign lost to Tommy John surgery) and in that time continued to pitch at a more or less league average level in spot starts, with a 3.79 ERA and 4.02 FIP across 95 1/3 innings of work when in the majors.
After electing free agency prior to the 2025 season, Lucchesi signed on with the Giants as a non-roster invite to Spring Training. He didn’t initially make the team but made his way to the majors around midseason, and upon arriving pitched mostly in short-inning relief for San Francisco. He posted a 3.76 ERA with a 3.97 FIP across 38 1/3 innings of work for the club in 2025 but struggled late in the year and found himself non-tendered back in November. After initially re-signing with the Giants, he was released after failing to make the club out of Spring Training and landed a big league deal with the Angels. Unfortunately for the lefty, his stint in Anaheim lasted just three appearances. He struggled to a 7.71 ERA in 2 1/3 innings of work before being let go by the Angels. They’ll now have one week to try and work out a trade for him or pass him through waivers. If he makes it through waivers unclaimed, he’ll have the opportunity to elect free agency and return to the open market.
As for Klassen, the righty was acquired by the Angels in the Carlos Estevez trade with the Phillies back in 2024. Klassen spent his first full season in the Angels organization mostly at the Double-A level with lackluster results, including a 5.35 ERA in 24 starts. He’s made two starts at the Triple-A level between last season and this year, however, and in those outings he’s looked quite good with a 28.9% strikeout rate and just three earned runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings of work. That was enough for an Angels organization that has long been aggressive with prospect promotions to give the righty a look in the majors, and he’ll get his first look in the big leagues today with a start against the Mariners. For now, Klassen’s role appears to be that of a spot starter, but if he performs it would be easy to imagine the Angels finding a way to make room for him in their rotation mix.
He’d be a better choice for the Mets than Dicky Lovelady but I think they’re still waiting on Minter.
Always liked Lucchesi. Wish him the best. Seems to be a fighter but control issues seem to be an issue in small sample this year
Somebody will want him two innings this year aren’t going to override his nice season last year.
Reports of the churve’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Be critical of your sources, folks.
Jo Adell, known poor defender, had one of the best defensive games ever last night.
Actually he’s not a poor RF, he’s a horrible CF. If they would stop moving him around the outfield like a relief bartender, he might actually become a very good outfielder.
Over the last five years, he’s tied for the ML lead in HRs taken away at 20.
Torii Hunter, an amazing fielder in his own right, has been working with Adell as a special assistant the last couple of years. He called last night’s feat “probably the greatest defensive game I’ve ever seen.”
Not just the last couple of years.at least since 2021.
He’s not a natural baseball player. I’ve been saying this for years… leave him at one spot!!!
Let Moore play everyday at AAA, and don’t mess with him either.
Halo11 is correct. Adell is a corner OF and should stay there. Part of the Angel’s MO is to impede player success as much as possible and playing Adell in CF is an example of that.
Adell had a great night. Considering what he has been through, it must have felt amazing to get an opportunity to rob 3 HRs in a single game and make good on all of them in a 1-0 game no less.
Adell only play in CF because Trout was DH ing alot.
@halo11fan. I think it’s because adell pulled a canseco during the covid shortened season, but he’s not a bad right fielder. Just not a centerfielder. They should’ve kept moniak got rid of Lopez that would’ve kept soler out of the field and everything else would’ve worked itself out.
Adell is an exceptional athlete, but not an elite fielder. His athleticism allows him to occasionally make incredible plays.
Mike Trout is another example of am exceptional athlete average fielder, especially when he was Adell’s age. A good example is the catch he made in Baltimore several years ago. Trout has always been a good center fielder, but never considered elite.
I hope no one is putting unrealistic expectations on Adell thinking he is suddenly going to be perenial gold glove outfielder.
Rex, he talked about that. He was totally lost in multi level stadiums. When he got here, he wasn’t close to ready and couldn’t pick up the ball.
He was horrible, and it took a long time to shake that initial evaluation.
I think Adell can become a very good outfielder. But not if they keep moving him around.
@halo11fan. I understand just saying the poster above probably watched one game and goes on statcast, and doesn’t know the complete story.
Didn’t he get an MLB deal? That should prevent him from getting claimed and likely to pass waivers.
Yeah, it seems like he’s got a $1.5m salary. And with just over five years of service time, the Angels should be on the hook for his entire salary if he elects free agency. Then another team can sign him for the league minimum. I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong.
That was the plan all along for Luchessi. He’ll pass through waivers and be called back up in the next few weeks. There is still a possibility he gets picked up on waivers, probably the Diamondbacks, by a relief pitching needy club.
When you are the last pitcher on a staff, you don’t have much wiggle room, and he wiggled his way off the roster.
Klassen is starting today and making his MLB debut. I’m assuming Ryan Johnson will be moved to the pen?
I do find it interesting that they aren’t even willing to give Johnson a second time to start.
Maybe they should, I dunno, let guys sit in the minors longer? He’s started out in the majors the last two seasons and hasn’t been super successful, although I do put some of that blame on Washington last year for leaving him out for a second inning.
Johnson is sick. That is why, they skipped his turn in the rotation
Yeah I didn’t read that until after I posted this.
Klassen proved he isn’t ready yet. He has great stuff but lacks control as attested by plenty of SO and walks today. A lot of his pitches started out of the zone and players are not going to swing at those at this level.
Yeah agreed. Dana had similar results
@GoogleMe
I would hope the Angels give him a few more opportunies before deciding “he isn’t ready yet”. It was Klassen’s first major league appearance. Nerves/ excitment could have played into his performance.
Let’s face it the Angels are just hoping to improve this year. They should not be delussional and think they are competing for a World Series title, so giving another opportunity (or two) would not hurt anything.
DFA’d after 2.1 innings. Well, at least they gave him a chance.
This better not be because he hit the 6-7 in his intro during the home opener.
He hit the 6th and 7th guys in the lineup? He found his way into current zeitgeist then.
Lucchesi hit one batter in the home opener. In the 6th he got the final out of the inning. In the 7th he had 1 BB and 1 HBP and then he was replaced by Silseth.
That outing is not the issue. 4 hits and 4 walks in 2.1 IP is the problem. 9 baserunners out of 16 batters faced is the problem.
He didn’t look good to me.
Remember what the silly angel team did in 2002.
The 81 million dollar question is: where were you when spiezio hit the 3 run homer in game 6.
Lucchesi looked terrible.
$81 million question – Section 111.
Angels have a great team this year. Not striking out so much and throwing strikes. They are just as good as anyone in the division. Jack k looks great. Aldegerhi can pitch to. Happiness for peraza.
Lucky soul you are. Angels are going to repeat their 2002 season. The team wants to win. Kurt looks good. Other than giving away game 3 against Houston, he has done great. Love all the talent. Like hris Taylor and Strickland to.
It would be justified
When the Angels DFA a player, he is pretty much toast.
Osvaldo Bido seems to be showing a little life now with the Braves after the Yankees twerked him some. I wouldn’t say that the Angels have the most respected pitching lab in the league.
I’ve been watching this Angels vs Mariners series and Angels pitching looking really sharp all around.
Even in the losses the pitching has kept them in the games.
I can say this much: there won’t be any roll-over teams in the AL West this year.
outinleftfield
Pitching has kept in MOST games, the Cubs series was definitely an exception.
Seems like Perry likes to trade with the Braves and Phillies most. I would stick to the phillies offerings of Klassen, Aldegheri and Ohoppe over Jorge Solar, Even White and Ian Anderson
I fully expect the Halos to get nothing for him and then him to be lights out for a month or two for whatever team picks him up. Only for them to flip him for a prospect that would instantly be a top 15 Halos prospect.. Angels luck 🤷♂️
Stretcharmstrong
So you suggesting the Angel should have hung to him?
Another one of MORONassian’s Diamond in the rough finds. Should have never signed this guy I. The first place What is that the third guy we signed this offseason that did not make it though the first 10 games this season.
When you sign trash you get trashy performances
soccer_ref
You do realize that everyday someone has been DFA’d; from multiple teams, right?