Angels sign with the left hand Tyler Saucedoas Saucedo himself later showed on his personal Instagram account. The exact details of Saucedo’s contract are not known at this time, but it is likely to be a minor league deal with an invite to the big league Spring Training.
Saucedo, 32, made his major league debut as a member of the Blue Jays back in 2021 but got most of his work back in the years with the Mariners after Seattle waived him before the 2023 season. Saucedo proved to be an effective middle relief arm for the Mariners over two seasons, posting a 3.54 ERA in 86 1/3 innings of work with a 21.7% strikeout rate against an 11.0% walk rate. That latter number is high compared to Saucedo’s hitting ability, but the lefty has made up for it by producing a low 55.0% groundball rate. Saucedo’s 3.79 FIP and 4.05 SIERA were more pedestrian than elite, but there was still reason to be optimistic about the southpaw’s profile.
That’s because Saucedo’s combination of hitting and grounding was so encouraging. Among relievers with a ground ball rate of 55.0% or higher between 2023 and ’24, the lefty’s strikeout rate ranks 10th. That combination of strikeouts and grounders is hard to come by, and among those who fit that bill are top-notch closers like Andres Munoz again John Duran. Saucedo has been held back from reaching those high levels primarily by his penchant for allowing free passes. While low ball like Camilo Doval again Aaron Bummer they were able to generate walk rates in the 11-12% range operating at higher pitches, doing so with a much healthier strikeout assist than Saucedo could muster.
Despite his flaws, Saucedo entered 2025 thinking he was an integral part of the Seattle bullpen. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out as the rest struggled in ten MLB games this year. His 7.43 ERA in 13 1/3 innings in the majors this season left him to spend most of the season at Triple-A Tacoma. After being selected in the minors, he was sidelined for two months by a lat strain that sent his season off the rails. The lefty looked good in Tacoma in his return to action, with a 2.75 ERA in 22 plate appearances to go along with a 27.9% strikeout rate. That performance wasn’t enough to convince the Mariners to keep him in the fold, however, and he wasn’t brought back in November as a result.
Now with the Angels, Saucedo gets a chance to enter Spring Training with a chance to hold down a spot in the Angels bullpen that is not guaranteed. Robert Stephenson, Drew Pomeranzagain Kirby Yates figure to handle the late innings, while Ben Joyce will have an impact on the course of the year when he returns from shoulder surgery last year. If Saucedo gets a role in Anaheim, it’s equivalent to average innings. Aside from Pomeranz, that’s the only one left in the team’s projected bullpen right now Brock Burke. Burke turned in a dominant 2022 season as a member of the Rangers but has been less impressive in the years since; posted a 3.36 ERA with a 4.16 FIP in 69 appearances for the Angels last year. That’s solid enough production for a lefty in middle relief, but there could still be room for Saucedo to join Burke (and the righty). Jordan Romano) during the innings.
