What the A's Are Getting in Former Los Angeles Angels Lefty

Mar 5, 2023; Bradenton, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Angel Perdomo (68) throws a pitch in the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Minnesota Twins at LECOM Park. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

On Sunday, the Athletics announced that they had claimed left-handed relief pitcher Angel Perdomo off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, the team also announced that they had designated Esteury Ruiz, a key piece of the Sean Murphy trade with the Atlanta Braves, for assignment.

So what are the A's getting in the 30-year-old left-hander?

What stands out initially is that the A's are now Perdomo's third team in 2025, which doesn't necessarily bode well. That said, he could certainly be of use to the A's in Sacramento at some point this season.

Perdomo last pitched in the Majors in 2023 as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and was claimed off waivers by the Braves that offseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery. After tossing 8.1 innings in camp with Atlanta and holding a 2.16 ERA, he was traded to the Angels for cash or a player to be named later.

With the Angels, he made two appearances, totaling 1.2 innings of work and gave up four runs on four hits, though all of those were deemed unearned. In total between the two camps, he went ten innings, gave up seven hits, six runs (two earned), walked six and struck out eight. That was good for a 1.80 ERA.

In 2023 he sat in the mid-90's with his four-seamer, and also relied on an 84 mile per hour slider, while mixing in a changeup against right-handers. Standing at 6-foot-8, he's an imposing pitcher on the mound, and has had great success against lefties in his career.

In 2023, he faced 46 left-handers, walked five of them, and gave up just five hits, good for a .125 batting average against and a .222 OBP. That also amounted to a 2.15 FIP.

In between then and now, Perdomo has also undergone TJ, so it's not like those same results can be counted upon just yet. Judging by the spring numbers, he's still refining his command after the layoff, but having a spot on the 40-man with the A's, presumably in Triple-A with the Las Vegas Aviators, will allow him the time needed to get back to where he was.

The A's currently have just one left-handed relief pitcher (technically) in their bullpen in Sacramento in T.J. McFarland. The veteran was relied upon as a workhorse for the club last year, pitching seemingly every other day.

The other option the A's have is Hogan Harris, who is also a southpaw, but he is a starting pitcher hanging out in the bullpen and covers more roles for the club from eating innings if a starter doesn't go deep into a game, to getting a key out against a lefty.

With Perdomo in the mix, the most likely outcome would be that he'd be used primarily against left-handed bats as a bit of a modern day LOOGY (Lefty One-Out Guy). While the modern rules make it harder to roster those types of pitchers with the three-batter minimum, it's not impossible to find a spot for him to pitch effectively a couple of times a week.

This is also the type of move that the A's need to make throughout the course of the season in order to maximize the talent on the roster. While DFA'ing Ruiz isn't ideal, with so many outfielders in the mix in the minors to make an impact over the course of the year, the opportunity just wasn't likely to be there for Ruiz this season.

With Perdomo, there is at least a need for an extra left-hander in the A's bullpen. Whether he bumps Harris back to the rotation mix in the minors, or serves as a depth option in case of injury, he's a nice guy to have.