Angels Sign 2-Time All-Star Pitcher On Minor League Deal

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jul 21, 2024

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Johnny Cueto is back on the West Coast signing a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels, as reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Cueto was most recently on a similar deal with the Texas Rangers and opted out on July 2 after spending two months with Triple-A Round Rock. He spent two months with the minor league affiliate where he struck out 30 hitters in 38 innings while finishing with a 5.92 ERA.

Johnny Cueto agrees to Angels minors deal

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 21, 2024

The 38-year-old is a two-time All-Star and a veteran of 16 MLB seasons. He finished in the top four in Cy Young voting twice and won a World Series with the 2015 Kansas City Royals.

However, he is mostly known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds. From 2010 to 2016, he was among the best starters in the entire league with a 2.86 ERA. The only pitcher better than him was Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Before signing with Texas, Cueto spent the 2023 season with the Miami Marlins. He went 1-4 with a 6.02 ERA in 13 games as he dealt with a biceps injury and an ankle injury most of the season. He spent the previous season with the Chicago White Sox in 2022 and went 8-10 with a 3.35 ERA in 25 games.

The signing of Cueto is puzzling but is par for the course in Anaheim this season. The Angels have signed a few veterans that other teams gave up on before getting another chance in red and white.