Martone tabbed as assistant GM for Angels
DiSarcina expected to make move to first-base coach
ANAHEIM -- Steve Martone, who spent the last two years as the Yankees' manager of professional scouting, is joining the Angels as an assistant general manager to new GM Billy Eppler, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Tuesday.
Martone, 35, was an assistant of baseball operations until getting promoted in March 2014. He is the second former Yankees executive hired by Eppler, who recently brought in Eric Chavez as his special assistant.
The Angels' two prior assistant GMs accepted promotions with other clubs last month. Matt Klentak, who dealt mostly with Major League transactions, is the Phillies' GM. Scott Servais, who ran scouting and player development, is the Mariners' manager.
Martone will handle baseball-operations initiatives with the Angels, but Eppler isn't expected to have a set right-hand man. Director of pro scouting Hal Morris and director of baseball operations Justin Hollander will also have a voice on who to acquire via free agency or trade, with other hires expected.
Coaching changes: Gary DiSarcina is expected to transition from third-base coach to first-base coach in 2016, a source said.
Alfredo Griffin, who has spent the last 17 years as the Angels' first-base and infield coach, will remain on the Major League staff, but his role has yet to be determined. Dino Ebel is currently Mike Scioscia's bench coach and isn't expected to return to the third-base coach role he excelled at until getting promoted before the 2014 season.
Under DiSarcina, the Angels were tied for the sixth-most outs at home in 2015 (22) and the fourth-most outs in 2014 (21). The Angels previously named Charles Nagy their new pitching coach and promoted Dave Hansen to be their hitting coach.
New lefty: The Angels signed lefty reliever Lucas Luetge to a Minor League contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training. Luetge, 28, posted a 4.40 ERA in 98 appearances for Seattle from 2012-13 but spent most of the last two seasons with the Mariners' Triple-A affiliate.
Luetge, who throws in the low 90s while mixing in a cutter and curveball, has held opposing left-handed hitters to a .567 OPS in his Major League career and struck out 10.1 batters per nine innings in Triple-A in 2014. Last year, though, he posted a 5.33 ERA in 29 appearances for the Tacoma Rainiers.