August 21: The Angels have now made it official, selecting Cueto to the roster. Righty Hans Crouse was optioned in a corresponding move. The club also announced that José Cisnero, who was designated for assignment on the weekend, has been released.
August 20: The Angels are set to select the contract of right-hander Johnny Cueto from Triple-A Salt Lake, reports Hector Gomez of Z101 Deportes in the Dominican Republic. The Halos don’t have a starter announced for tomorrow’s game, so it seems the plan will be for the veteran Cueto to come up and take the ball. He’s not on the 40-man roster, but the Angels have a vacancy there after releasing veteran infielder Luis Guillorme over the weekend.
Cueto, 38, has pitched in Triple-A with the Rangers and Angels this season, finding a good bit more success with the latter than with the former. He’s made four starts in Salt Lake and held opponents to eight earned runs on 27 hits and five walks with 15 strikeouts through 23 1/3 frames. That comes out to a 3.09 ERA and sharp 5% walk rate — albeit against a sub-par 14.9% strikeout rate. When including his minor league work with Texas this season, Cueto has a 4.76 ERA in 64 1/3 innings. He’ll be on six days rest for tomorrow’s game, with his most recent outing having come on Aug. 14.
Assuming Cueto indeed gets the nod for the Angels, this will be the 17th consecutive season in which the two-time All-Star and 2015 World Series champion has pitched in the majors. He spent the 2023 campaign with the Marlins but struggled to a 6.02 ERA through 10 starts in a season that was wrecked by a biceps injury. As recently as 2022, the right-hander pitched 158 1/3 innings of 3.35 ERA ball with the White Sox, showing similar K-BB rates (15.7% and 5.1%) to the ones he’s logged in Triple-A this year.
Overall, Cueto has piled up 2245 big league innings and recorded a tidy 3.50 ERA along the way. He’s won 144 games against 111 losses, punched out 1851 big league opponents and appeared in a total of 368 major league games. Cueto is currently tied with Floyd Bannister and Doc White for 196th in games started at the MLB level, and he’ll jump into a tie with Ron Darling, Scott Erickson and Vern Law for 193rd if and when he takes the ball tomorrow.
The Angels recently placed Jose Soriano on the injured list due to arm fatigue and lost Patrick Sandoval to UCL surgery earlier this season. They’ve been using journeyman Carson Fulmer and rookie Jack Kochanowicz in the rotation alongside Tyler Anderson and Griffin Canning recently. Cueto will give them a veteran option to join that group, though it’s possible the Angels will want to take a look at homegrown arms like Reid Detmers or Sam Bachman down the stretch. Both have had their struggles since being optioned to Triple-A, but both pitchers also pitched excellently in their most recent outings.
HEEERRRREEEESSS Johnny!
Oh yeah this is the news I needed today Johnny Cuecues going to shimmy shimmy and promptly give up a 3 run homer tonight
He must’ve taught Nestor Cortes everything he knows 🙂
I heard a rumor that the tigers may trade Baez for rendon in the off-season.
Why? Rendon would still get hurt and suck in Detroit, and Javy would still suck for the Angels. The Angels save $5-$6 mill. and the Tigers get one more year of suck for the dough.
However, the Angels could have Baez for free after the Tigers cut him loose over the winter or spring.
Oops. The Angels would get the privilege of watching Javy age and hack away for an extra year, with the Tigers paying an extra $5 mill. in the process. Why would they do that?
Exactly. The only real advantage for either team would be cutting Rendon’s luxury tax number from $35 million to Baez’s $23.3 million.
Zero chance that trade gets made.
Really? I heard it was going to be Aaron Judge for a highly regarded dressage horse.
@thefrog it’s more likely that both get released. The angels don’t need a ss.
This is the move that will save their season!
lol
It looks like Mickey’s ego is as fragile as Rendon’s body
I think your nickname should be the Mute!
The Angels season is saved! Freeway world series incoming!
Aint no chance either team making the WS
Bkbk
You’re trolling is noted. Here’s the attention you are seeking. Congrats
My ogre in arms, we’re all living under a bridge on this message board.
We’re clearly playing out the string here. No harm in giving Cueto some innings.
Exactly. Still need guys to take the ball every 5th day and maybe he’s still got something left in the tank
@halosheavenjj I don’t mind it. Waiting for Christian moore to be called up might as well
While his first 21 ABs in AA were excellent, his last 32 ABs have been a disaster.
And so the rebuild officially begins.
Unfortunately, not likely. Arte will never give this team the full rebuild it needs and after a season that was basically over in April and horrendous attendance i could see Arte panic buying in free agency
So how are they “likely” going to select him in the headline if in the article says they “are set”
Going the way of the dogs this is
Bell end.
Muted
Real muters don’t talk about it, they just do it. Ya coonts.
As far as I am concerned the Angels should throw all the veterans and shut down any young arms that are beyond their previous year(s) workload, Throw Anderson, Cueto, Fulmer, Canniing, add in some call ups in Sept, and ride the season out.
Soriano has proven he is a capable starter, shut him down, at the very least for a few weeks. There is no need to risk injury with him.
Good take.
@Angels fan
Using Soriano as an example, wouldn’t they have to leave him on the 40 man? If he isn’t injured, they can’t “create” injuries, I suppose they could optioh him to AAA..
Agree though, good young controllable starting pitchers are gold, and yes, it wouldn’t be stupid to wrap him in cotton wool until Spring…
Enjoying a great race for 4th in our division down the stretch;)
@A’sfan
He has “arm fatigue” pretty hard to disprove that.
A week or two, or three wouldn’t be bad.
Good to see, get ’em Johnny ⚾
Glad to see the Angels are finally bringing up their best prospects. I was worried it wasn’t gonna happen this year.
Royals fans will gladly welcome him back!
Johnny Cueto will never have to pay for a meal in Kansas City. He was a star and a real difference maker for the ’15 World Champs.
High light of his career! Everyone who plays a long time deserves to win one WS Title!
Cueto had the markings of a an elite talent and he was for awhile, but something just didnt click for him after 2016
it seemed that when he wanted to show his A game he could – but he pitched more of the time as he was going through the motions (no heart)
Anyone who has watched Cueto and listened to his interviews would disagree. He’s also a well-liked clubhouse guy. You don’t pitch for 17 years in the MLB with “no heart” with a career 3.50 ERA in 2200+ IP.
Hall of Very Good pitchers for first half of his career. Hope he can give them some quality innings for rest of season.
I have zero respect for “Cleats” Cueto after he kicked Jason LaRue in the head with his cleats. LaRue ended up with a career ending concussion. Cueto should have been arrested! LaRue was too much of a nice guy and didn’t sue Cleats.
Every time Cueto is referenced someone has to mention this. It happened during a benches clearing brawl during which Cueto, the starting pitcher, was pinned against the backstop. If anyone’s at fault, it was their idiotic pseudo-macho teammates who initiated the whole thing – Brandon Phillips and Yadier Molina.
It’s ok. Anytime he’s referenced here in Pittsburgh, we remember when we had a decent team. Screams of “Cueto! Cueto!” followed by Russell Martin taking him over the left field fence
It’s been downhill here ever since
There were several pinned against the backstop. Only one lacked character and started kicking people in the head with cleats.
Yes, Phillips and Molina got the whole thing started. But the dancing was coming to an end before Dusty Baker reignited it if I remember correctly.
Cueto made Jason Larue famous that’s for sure.
I forgot about that. Sounds very ugly!
Who care let someone pitch there going finish last gm owner need to get on the same page
A: 2005, 2008 and 2013.
Q: “In which year did 2024 pitchers: Rich Hill, Johnny Cueto and James Paxton make their MLB debuts, Alex?”
Wow, I fully expected Paxton’s year to be prior to 2010.
Optioning Hans Crouse is insane.
bartolo colon next man up.
Bring it!! Didn’t he play in the Saudi league?
Based on tonight’s start , he’s the Ace of this staff.
It was nice to see him get a standing ovation from the Royals fans.