Detroit Tigers Snag Left-Hander Off Waivers From Oakland A's

Jason Burke | May 18, 2024

May 8, 2024; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics pitcher Easton Lucas (67) delivers a pitch / D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

After the Oakland A's designated left-handed reliever Easton Lucas for assignment on Thursday, it was announced today that the Detroit Tigers had claimed the 27-year-old and sent him to Triple-A Toledo.

Lucas was acquired by the A's last season in the trade that sent Shintaro Fujinami to the Baltimore Orioles. The southpaw made his MLB debut with Oakland in 2023, and received a couple of quick stints with the club this season before being DFA'd. He holds a career 10.45 ERA across 10 1/3 innings, and has allowed 18 hits, seven walks, and struck out 13 in his brief time in the big leagues.

For Detroit, he offers some potential to figure things out, but their bullpen currently ranks fourth in baseball with a 3.11 ERA. Their excellence is arguably what's keeping the Tigers around the .500 mark, so finding a spot for the lefty could be tricky. Lucas' FIP with Oakland this year sits at a solid 2.31 in the small sample, so there is room to believe he could be of some service for Detroit.

This season in the minors Lucas holds a 2.87 ERA in 15 2/3 innings after posting a 5.63 ERA in the PCL after the trade last season in 16 frames. On the flip side of that, his strikeout rate has trended up slightly to 19.4%, but his walk rate is more than double what it was, up to 11.9%, and his FIP in Triple-A sits at 5.72, or roughly what his ERA was last year.

Lucas leads with his four-seam fastball, which sits at 94, and follows that up with his cutter (90 mph) and slider (83 mph). He's mixed in a couple of changeups and sinkers, but those three pitches are his main offerings.

To make room for Easton Lucas on the 40-man roster, the Tigers designated right-hander Ty Adcock for assignment. Detroit had claimed the righty off waivers a month ago from the Seattle Mariners.