LA Angels continue to defy logic by adding MLB retread to replace Jose Soriano

The Los Angeles Angels lost, arguably, their best starting pitcher over the weekend. Jose Soriano, who has amazingly made the transition from reliever to starter, was placed on the 15-day IL with arm fatigue. There's hope that Soriano could return later this season, but that remains to be seen.

With the Angels' playoff odds sitting at 0%, according to FanGraphs, one would think the Halos would use such an opportunity to give one of their younger pitchers an chance to shine, right? Sadly, that's not what's going to happen.

Rather than call up a pitcher like Sam Bachman or Caden Dana, or even give former first-round pick Reid Detmers another shot, the Angels will reportedly select the contract of longtime major league pitcher and former All-Star Johnny Cueto. But why?

LA Angels continue to defy logic by adding Johnny Cueto to replace Jose Soriano

Cueto was signed to a minor-league deal back in July after having been dumped by the Texas Rangers. If Cueto couldn't prove enough to a team who was, at the time, in the playoff conversation, why in the world is he headed to Anaheim in what's become yet another lost season for the Angels?

Now, had the Angels made this type of move 10 years ago, we'd all be celebrating it. Cueto was one of the best pitchers in the major leagues from 2011-2016. During that span, the right-hander was finalist for the Cy Young Award twice and also made two trips to the All-Star Game.

But injuries have defined Cueto's career since then and the veteran owns a 4.25 ERA and 4.51 FIP since the 2017 season. Cueto has started an average of just 15 games per year since his last appearance in the Midsummer Classic and has been down in the minors for the entire 2024 season. In 13 minor league starts, Cueto is 5-1 with a 4.76 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 64.1 innings pitched.

But while one could opine about Cueto's shortcomings, this story has much more to do with the incompetence of the Angels' front office. Every at-bat, every pitch, and every roster decision from now until the end of the season should be made with a focus on 2025 and beyond.

Bringing in a 38-year-old has-been does nothing for next year's team, and it's yet another reason why Perry Minasian should be out of job on September 30. This is just the latest poor decision in a season filled with them.

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