O's sign closer Josh Lucas to a minor league deal

[wildcard]

Looks like he has had a lot of success at AA/AAA.  28 years old.  Good K and WHIP in the PCL.  Tough league to pitch in.  Looks like he is ready for a longer trial in the majors some time during 2019.   I bet we see him in ST  with the big club.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/orioles-sign-josh-lucas-minor-league-deal.html

[Tony-OH]

Sinker-slider guy who should compete for a bullpen job this year. Seems to miss some bats, but the question is whether he can get left-handers out effectively. Did better against lefties last year in AAA so it will be interesting to see/hear what he did differently. 

[tntoriole]

26 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Sinker-slider guy who should compete for a bullpen job this year. Seems to miss some bats, but the question is whether he can get left-handers out effectively. Did better against lefties last year in AAA so it will be interesting to see/hear what he did differently. 

Drafted in Cardinals organization in 2010...wonder if Elias was involved in his drafting. 

[Aristotelian]

Maybe Ryan Webb as a comp? I'll take him.

[wildcard]

48 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Sinker-slider guy who should compete for a bullpen job this year. Seems to miss some bats, but the question is whether he can get left-handers out effectively. Did better against lefties last year in AAA so it will be interesting to see/hear what he did differently. 

He has two options left.  And of course the O's can send him to the minors to start the season without even using an option.

Right now I see Givens, Bleier, Fry, Castro in the pen.   Araujo for 17 days after which I like Kline.  I would like to see the O's carry two guys that  can give them 4 innings in relief per outing.   Yacabonis is one.  Gilmartin who is on a minor league contract is the next best guy for that 4 inning slot.   He did that very well at the end of the season.  

I am just saying that the  pen may be tough to crack out of ST and Lucas will be super easy to send down because he is on a minor league contract.

[byrdz]

 

[interloper]

I like it. This is a guy Duquette probably gives a ML contract to.  

[Ripken]

Video reminds me of Derek Lowe.

[Camden_yardbird]

He opens up too quickly on every other pitch causing it to slide into the right side batters box, and then on the 4th time he does it shrugs his shoulders like he cant figure out what's going wrong...

[jamalshw]

These are the type of guys it makes sense to give a chance at this point in the rebuild. We don't want to rush prospects. We don't want to sign overpriced and declining players unless they bring enough leadership to the table to help the kids.

Lucas seems to be a reasonable play. He's put up some interesting numbers and could be solid if given a chance. Of course, he could flame out, too, but it really doesn't matter for the O's. Giving chances to the guys that've bounced around without many long chances, like Lucas or Nunez or a number of others, makes sense until/unless you have a prospect banging down the door at that spot. If you give 20 guys a chance, maybe you find one or two longer term pieces.

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. ATHLETICS, 4/11)

 

Lucas ceded 1 Unearned Run over 2 Innings Pitched to help keep the Orioles reasonably close in this afternoon's game.

He threw ) 29 Pitches )(17 )Strikes, )12 )Balls), ceded 1 Walk, and had 1 Strikeout.

 

This was Lucas' 2019 season debut for the Orioles.

 

o

[bobmc]

Ol' Josh got him some bicycle chains around his neck.  How does he function?  (just a troll on Bob Brenly)

It looks like that is why Bogaerts hit a 3 R homer.

 

[OFFNY]

On 4/11/2019 at 2:52 PM, OFFNY said:

o

 

(vs. ATHLETICS, 4/11)

 

Lucas ceded 1 Unearned Run over 2 Innings Pitched to help keep the Orioles reasonably close in this afternoon's game.

He threw ) 29 Pitches )(17 )Strikes, )12 )Balls), ceded 1 Walk, and had 1 Strikeout.

 

This was Lucas' 2019 season debut for the Orioles.

 

o

o

 

11 DAYS LATER (April 22nd)

 

The Orioles have DFA'd RHP Josh Lucas.

They have also optioned CF Cedric Mullins to AAA-Norfolk, have selected contract of INF Stevie Wilkerson.

 

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/1120394238422913024

 

o

[wildcard]

Any bets on whether he gets through waivers?

[interloper]

9 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Any bets on whether he gets through waivers?

Probably does? Just a minor league free agent guy, 28 yrs old. I feel like every team has a few of those guys.