SF Giants sneak in roster move by adding veteran pitcher amid trade chaos

The SF Giants pulled off a stunning trade to acquire three-time AL All-Star Rafael Devers right before Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Amid all that chaos that ensued, the Giants also added veteran hurler Joey Lucchesi to the active roster.

SF Giants sneak in roster move by adding veteran pitcher amid trade chaos

Rarely does a player get to the field and start warming up in the bullpen without prior notice. This deal was completed in the minutes leading up to the Giants game, so they had to scramble to fill out the roster.

Lucchesi had been throwing out of the Sacramento River Cats' bullpen. They are on the road against the Tacoma Rainiers, so it is not a drive down south from Sacramento. There was a sense that a move was imminent.

The southpaw pitcher arrived just in time to Dodger Stadium. Sean Hjelle was tabbed as the starter, taking over for Kyle Harrison. If you do not know by now, Harrison was among the four players sent to Boston to acquire Devers.

Similar to Lucchesi, Hjelle had worked out of the bullpen for Sacramento. There were only so many outs and innings that he was going to be able to tally against a strong Dodgers lineup.

The 6-foot-11 allowed two runs in 3.2 innings before the bullpen took over. The results were overshadowed by the larger move that took place. Joey Lucchesi came in after Hjelle and allowed two earned runs in 0.2 of an inning.

The six-year veteran has put together a respectable career in the majors, posting a 4.10 ERA while working primarily out of the rotation. He came up as a starter, but has seen more time in the bullpen in recent seasons.

This includes a stint with the River Cats, where he registered a 3.23 ERA with 31 strikeouts against eight walks in 30.2 frames. The addition of Lucchesi gives the Giants another left-handed pitcher in the bullpen, along with Erik Miller. Will he be with the club for long? Who knows, but there was almost a moment of confusion as Lucchesi entered the game on Sunday, and very few people even knew he had been added