Los Angeles Angels Designate Veteran Johnny Cueto For Assignment After 2 Starts

Johnny Cueto made two starts for the Los Angeles Angels this month, but the 38-year-old pitcher was bumped off the 40-man roster after losing both games.

Aug 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (36) tips his cap to the fans as he exits the game during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Angels have designated right-handed pitcher Johnny Cueto for assignment, the team announced Friday.

Cueto signed a minor league contract with the Angels in July after opting out of his deal with the Texas Rangers. He was added to the big league roster on Aug. 21, making his season debut against the Kansas City Royals that evening.

While Cueto put up a solid stat line in his first start, things didn't go quite as smoothly when he took the mound against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 27. Overall, he posted a 7.15 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 4.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.2 WAR between the two outings.

That led the Angels to bump the 38-year-old Cueto off their 40-man roster as part of a flurry of other transactions on Friday.

Right-handed pitcher Carson Fulmer landed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, while right-handed pitcher José Marte was moved to the 60-day injured list. Left-hander Sam Aldeghrti and right-hander pitcher Caden Dana had their contracts selected to round out the big league pitching staff.

#Angels transactions:

•Selected the contracts of LHP Sam Aldegheri and RHP Caden Dana

•Placed RHP Carson Fulmer (right elbow inflammation) on 15-day IL (retro to Aug. 27)

•Designated RHP Johnny Cueto for assignment

•Transferred RHP José Marte to 60-day IL

— Angels PR (@LAAngelsPR) August 30, 2024

Cueto made his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds back in 2008, finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2012 and finished second in NL Cy Young voting in 2014. The Reds traded Cueto to the Royals in 2015, and he helped them win the World Series that same fall.

From there, Cueto inked a six-year, $130 million contract with the San Francisco Giants. He was named an All-Star and finished sixth in NL Cy Young voting in 2016, but it didn't take long for injuries to take their toll on Cueto's career.

Cueto suffered from blisters and a forearm injury in 2017, then missed the vast majority of the 2018 and 2019 seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery. COVID-19 and multiple elbow strains limited his workload in 2020 and 2021 as well.

At the conclusion of his contract with the Giants, Cueto latched on with the Chicago White Sox and went 8-10 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.225 WHIP and a 3.5 WAR in 2022. In 2023, however, Cueto went 1-4 with a 6.02 ERA, 1.261 WHIP and a -0.1 WAR across 13 appearances for the Miami Marlins.

Cueto is just 30-38 with a 4.31 ERA, 1.319 WHIP and a 7.5 WAR over his last eight MLB seasons. Over his previous seven big league campaigns, Cueto was 82-53 with a 2.73 ERA, 1.084 WHIP and a 26.2 WAR.

Following his two starts for the Angels this month, Cueto ranks the fifth in wins, fifth in starts, seventh in WAR and ninth in strikeouts among active players. Justin Verlander and Rich Hill are the only active players who made their big league debuts before Cueto's on April 3, 2008.

Cueto could technically find a new home prior to Sept. 1 to retain his postseason eligibility, although it remains to be seen if anyone is willing to take a flier on him in the middle of a playoff push.

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