Former Brewers All-Star gets another shot at comeback bid in the AL West

In 2024, the Milwaukee Brewers' bullpen has been one of the very best in baseball. The group - led by Bryan Hudson, Jared Koenig, Bryse Wilson and Joel Payamps - has the second-lowest ERA in the league despite the fact that it's made up almost entirely of castoffs from other teams.

In the not-so-distant past, the back end of the 'pen was propped up by the likes of Josh Hader, Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel, all of whom were All-Star-caliber closers that consistently came in and shut down the opposition.

Jeffress never officially retired, but his last big league innings came in 2020 and he's been out of pro ball since 2022. Hader is still thriving in the AL West, functioning as the Astros' closer.

Then there's Knebel, who hasn't made a big league appearance since 2022. He underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in August of that year and has yet to resurface. Earlier this year, the 2017 All-Star appeared in 12 games in the White Sox's minor league system, posting a 5.91 ERA across 10.2 innings of work. He was released on August 1, but his trip through free agency did not last long.

According to his transaction logs on MLB.com, Knebel has now signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels as he looks to continue his comeback bid.

Ex-Brewers All-Star Corey Knebel signs with the Angels

Now 32 years of age, Knebel's tenure in Milwaukee is best remembered by that strong 2017 season in which he posted a sparkling 1.78 ERA across a league-leading 76 outings. He notched 39 saves and struck out a ridiculous 126 batters (14.9 K/9) along the way. He regressed a bit the following year, but he still had 16 saves in a memorable 2018 season for the Brewers.

By the end of his time on the Brewers, Knebel had become injury prone and he made his last few appearances for the club in 2020. He was traded to the Dodgers for a minor league pitcher in December of that year.

He continued to be a reliable reliever for the Dodgers in 2021 (27G, 2.45 ERA) and Phillies in 2022 (46 G, 3.43 ERA, 12 SV), but he hasn't been seen in the big leagues since. On the last-place Angels, he may still have a shot at cracking the 26-man roster before the season ends, as the vast majority of their team is in shambles.

Brewers fans always have a soft spot for a player like Knebel who quietly went about his business and was a damn good player during his peak. That 2017 run was something to behold and it's going to be quite the success story for him if he's able to successfully overcome the injury bug and resurface at the game's highest level.