The Cleveland Guardians went wild on the waiver wire Thursday, claiming three pitchers, including a pair of former All-Stars.
The Guardians claimed right-handed starter Lucas Giolito and relievers Reynaldo López and Matt Moore off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels.
Giolito, a 2019 All-Star, has struggled since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the trade deadline. In six starts, he has a 6.89 ERA. López, picked up by Los Angeles in that same deal with the White Sox, has been better, posting a 2.77 ERA and two saves with the Halos.
It’s a terrible look for the Angels, who went all-in at the trade deadline in a long-shot bid to make the postseason, only to quickly fall flat. The Angels traded two top prospects, catcher Edgar Quero and left-hander Ky Bush, to land Giolito and López.
The 34-year-old Moore, a 2013 All-Star, has bounced back this year with a 2.66 ERA in 41 games.
Baseball fans brought out the memes and some snarky comments to evaluate the Guardians’ moves.
Wonder if the Guardians make these moves if they lose yesterday. Twins left the door open. Tito on his final legs; Cleveland has something to play for. Central will be interesting in September.
— Geoff Kim (@geoff_kim) August 31, 2023