A Northern California native is headed home in free agency — and headed back to the division where he made his major league debut.
Former New York Mets and San Diego Padres pitcher Joey Lucchesi has agreed to a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The left-hander will receive an invitation to spring training.
Joey Lucchesi to the Giants, minors deal. $1.5M if in majors. MLB spring invite.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 20, 2025
Lucchesi, 31, is 23-26 with a 4.10 ERA in 81 career games (77 starts) in the majors. He made only two MLB starts in 2024 with the Mets, spending most of the season with their top farm team. At Triple-A Syracuse, Lucchesi went 5-7 with a 4.70 ERA. He became a free agent after last season.
PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 21: Eric Hosmer #30 of the San Diego Padres shares a laugh with Joey Lucchesi #37 during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 21, 2018… PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 21: Eric Hosmer #30 of the San Diego Padres shares a laugh with Joey Lucchesi #37 during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on April 21, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks won 6-2. Lucchesi has a contract with the Giants.
Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images
A native of Newark, California, Lucchesi was drafted by San Diego in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Draft. He began his professional career with the Tri-City Dust Devils, posting a 0-2 record and a 1.35 ERA in 14 games.
In 2018, Lucchesi made his major league debut against the Milwaukee Brewers, giving up three earned runs in 4.2 innings. His first win came April 10 at Coors Field, where he pitched six innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight in a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rockies.
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Lucchesi ended his rookie season with an 8-9 record and a 4.08 ERA in 26 starts, totaling 130 innings and 145 strikeouts. He was considered one of the Padres’ top young pitchers that season alongside Eric Lauer, Chris Paddack, Dinelson Lamet, and Cal Quantrill.
In 2019, Lucchesi went 10-10 with a 4.18 ERA in 30 starts, pitching 163.2 innings and striking out 158 batters. However, in 2020, he played only 5.2 innings across three games (two starts) while allowing five runs.
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After the season, the Padres traded Lucchesi to the Mets, part of the three-team trade that sent Joe Musgrove from Pittsburgh to San Diego.
Lucchesi underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 but returned to the Mets in 2023. After starting the season in the minors, he was promoted for an April 21 start against the Giants and threw seven scoreless innings.
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With the Giants, Lucchesi will try to elbow into a rotation that includes 2024 All-Star Logan Webb, three-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, another former Cy Young Award winner in Robbie Ray, veteran Jordan Hicks, and highly touted 23-year-old Kyle Harrison.
The National League West projects to be a tough division with several talented left-handed hitters — Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman in Los Angeles, Corbin Carroll and Josh Naylor in Arizona, Jackson Merrill and Luis Arraez in San Diego — who could make Lucchesi a valuable rotation piece.
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