The Los Angeles Angels signed right-handed reliever Alex Faedo to a minor league contract on May 21. The 30-year-old will begin in the Arizona Complex while he builds game readiness before a likely promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake.
When the Los Angeles Angels moved to add depth to a bullpen that has struggled all season. they landed on a familiar name in pro baseball’s in-between space—Alex Faedo. On May 21. the team signed the right-handed reliever to a minor league contract and assigned him to the Arizona Complex. where he will stay while building game readiness before a likely move to Triple-A Salt Lake.
Faedo is 30 and comes with Major League experience built the hard way. The right-hander was drafted 18th overall by the Detroit Tigers in the 2017 MLB Draft. but he didn’t debut professionally in 2017 due to workload management at Florida. In 2018, he split time between High-A Lakeland and Double-A Erie, going 5–10 with a 4.02 ERA in 24 starts after a June 18 promotion.
The record during those early years reads like a player finding his footing. In 2019, Faedo logged a 6–7 record with a 3.90 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 115 1/3 innings. The next step didn’t come through a promotion at all—he missed 2020 because the season was canceled due to COVID. On November 20. 2020. he was added to the Tigers 40-man roster. and on December 19. 2020. he underwent Tommy John surgery. which kept him out during 2021.
When he returned in 2022, the results were immediate. Faedo posted a 2.53 ERA in three appearances at Lakeland, then advanced from Triple-A Toledo to the majors. He debuted on May 4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching five innings and allowing two earned runs. Two weeks later, he earned his first MLB win on May 22 versus the Cleveland Guardians.
His path through Detroit’s rotation and bullpen shifted again. In 2023, Faedo recorded a 2–5 record with a 4.45 ERA in 15 appearances, including 12 starts. In 2024. he worked mainly out of the bullpen. compiling a 3.61 ERA with 55 strikeouts over 57 1/3 innings in 37 games before a right shoulder strain ended his season.
By early 2025, his situation changed quickly. Faedo was designated for assignment on January 29, 2025, then traded to the Tampa Bay Rays on February 3. His time in that organization included time on the injured list, including a 60-day stint. He was activated on November 3, designated for assignment again, cleared waivers, and elected free agency on November 6.
Now the Angels are taking another look at what Faedo can do when he’s healthy and in rhythm—exactly the sort of swing a minor league deal is built for. Los Angeles’ bullpen has a 5.41 ERA. the second-worst mark in the American League. and it also carries the third-highest walk rate in MLB. paired with a mid-tier strikeout rate.
Faedo won’t be asked to fix that overnight from the first day. He’ll begin in Arizona Complex, working toward game readiness while the next chapter—potentially a promotion to Triple-A Salt Lake—waits on performance and availability.
Los Angeles Angels Alex Faedo minor league contract Arizona Complex Triple-A Salt Lake bullpen Detroit Tigers Tommy John surgery Tampa Bay Rays right shoulder strain
So they signed him to the minors just to move him back up later… seems kinda pointless.
I swear bullpen issues are the Angels curse every year. They always grab some guy and hope for the best, then it’s still a mess.
Wait Tommy John surgery and then he’s good after 3 appearances? That’s wild. But I’m confused why they’d need a “minor league contract” if he already has MLB experience.
Minor league deal means he’s definitely not gonna pitch much right? Also Faedo is 30 which feels old for baseball nowadays but maybe not if his arm’s been through it. I read “in-between space” and thought it meant he’s like a backup for injuries or whatever, not actually building readiness in AZ. Either way I hope it fixes that bullpen, because watching them this season has been brutal.