Former New York Mets pitcher Joey Lucchesi has been released from his minor-league deal.
Lucchesi signed a one-year, major league contract with the Los Angeles Angels before Opening Day. He was then DFA’d on April 5 and elected free agency after some rough outings. Four days after that, he re-signed with the Angels on a minor-league deal and was added back to the MLB roster on April 26.
Yet, his struggles continue, and he was DFA’d on April 29 after two outings, and once again elected free agency. The left-hander then re-signed on a minor-league deal with the Angels on May 5. On June 2, the Angels announced that the team had released Lucchesi.
Lucchesi made his MLB debut in 2018 with the San Diego Padres and spent three years with the Padres before being traded to the New York Mets. With the Mets, Lucchesi pitched in parts of three seasons before he signed with the San Francisco Giants for the 2025 season.
In his eight-year MLB career, Lucchesi has appeared in 124 games, including 77 starts, going 23-28 with a 4.15 ERA. However, this season, the former Mets pitcher has struggled. He’s 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in 5 games over 3.1 innings. That led to his release from the Angels.
Mets Bet on Lucchesi’s Upside
New York acquired Lucchesi in a three-team trade involving the Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Mets acquired Lucchesi while all the Mets had to give up was catching prospect Endy Rodriguez. After the trade, Mets insider Anthony DiComo of MLB.com said New York was betting on the left-hander’s upside, but it didn’t pan out.
“Lucchesi, 27, gives the Mets a young lefty capable of starting and relieving. The team intends to stretch him out in Spring Training, according to a person with knowledge of its thinking,” DiComo wrote following the trade. “He is under team control for four more seasons, will make close to the Major League minimum this year. And has accessible Minor League options, making him a cheap, flexible roster piece for a club in need of precisely that.
“The Mets also believe Lucchesi features plenty of upside, despite his issues in 2020. From ’18-19, Lucchesi went 18-19 with a 4.14 ERA, striking out 303 batters in 293 2/3 innings. He struggled in two starts for San Diego early last summer, running into some rotten luck as he allowed a .542 batting average on balls in play despite a relative lack of hard contact.”
Lucchesi was expected to compete for a backend starter spot. But he appeared in 22 games over three seasons with the Mets, as he didn’t pan out.
New York Off to Bad Start
The Mets didn’t make the playoffs last season and appear to be on their way to missing the playoffs again.
New York got off to a horrid start and hasn’t improved, as general manager David Stearns is disappointed with the team’s start.
“We have not had a good year so far, there’s no question,” Stearns said. “We’re not where we thought we would be. We’ve dug ourselves a hole.
The Mets are 26-34 and in last place in the NL East.
Former Mets 8-Year MLB Pitcher Released by AL Club