Ex-Mets, Padres 4.15 ERA swingman leaves MLB to pitch in Japan

A former New York Mets swingman has left Major League Baseball in an attempt to start a playing career in Japan. 

According to Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors, Nippon Professional Baseball's Chiba Lotte Marines recently announced that they've signed left-hander Joey Lucchesi. 

Luchessi played parts of three seasons with the Mets, missing the entire 2022 season due to injury. 

This season, the 33-year-old threw 3.1 innings for the Los Angeles Angels and gave up five earned runs on seven hits. Los Angeles granted his release earlier this month. 

Lucchesi transitions to NPB

"He’ll spend the remainder of the season in Japan — likely earning more than he’d have secured on a minor league deal in North America — and reassess his market in the offseason," Adams wrote Friday.

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"A strong performance could set him up for a seven-figure guarantee overseas in 2027 or catch the attention of major league clubs in free agency this winter." 

The Marines are 39-40 and in fifth place in a six-team Pacific League. 

Lucchesi made his MLB debut in 2018 with the San Diego Padres. 

He struck out a career-high 158 batters in 163.2 innings with the NL West club the following season. 

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