Former big-league closer comes home to finish out season in Phillies organization

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Lou Trivino walked into the clubhouse at Coca-Cola Park, the stadium he attended for fun as a teenager, with a breakfast treat for his new Lehigh Valley teammates. One of the perks of being from nearby Quakertown, Pa., is that he knows a few spots, so Trivino made a pit stop at the local Yum Yum Bake Shop on Sunday morning.

“He’s kind of given us the ins and outs of the valley,” IronPigs manager Anthony Contreras said. “He brought in some doughnuts today that he said were the best in the area, which is kind of nice to get those little gems like that.”

Trivino, the 33-year-old former Oakland A’s closer, had stints with the Giants and Dodgers in the big leagues this season, but he failed to stick on either roster. After he was released by Los Angeles on July 27, he decided to come to familiar territory to finish out the season. He signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies on Aug. 4 and was assigned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley the next day.

“Everything’s been pretty good,” Trivino said. “Obviously, a little disappointed that I’m still not playing in the big leagues. But God has us where we’re at for a reason, and it’s pretty cool to be able to play with the IronPigs. I came here as a high schooler. I live in Quakertown, just right down the road, so it’s pretty cool to be able to play and then have my parents and friends come and see and watch and stuff like that.”

The right-hander made 37 appearances in the majors this year with a 4.42 ERA. He had interest from several organizations upon his release, but the fact that he became available right before the trade deadline complicated the matter. Once the dust settled, he chose a place where he knew he’d feel comfortable — even if he never gets called up.

“I do feel like I could potentially help the team out,” Trivino said. “But at the same time, it’s freaking August, you know? I just want to be home, so that was a pretty big part of it.”

Trivino and his wife, Megan, grew up only five minutes away from one another. They spent their offseasons in Quakertown until 2021, when they moved to Florida. But recently, the couple bought a home back in Pennsylvania, right in the middle of where each of their parents live. The two and their daughter are staying with Megan’s parents while it’s being renovated, but they’re looking forward to settling in soon.

“We’re excited to get the house done,” Trivino said, “and now we get a place to kind of call home up here, too.”

On the mound, Trivino has been pleased with the amount of soft contact he’s induced this season, but the strikeouts have escaped him. He had just 6.75 strikeouts per nine innings in the big leagues this year. He’s thrown two scoreless innings so far with the IronPigs, but the trend has persisted.

“I’ve only thrown two innings, and, of course, I have no strikeouts,” Trivino said, laughing. “But I feel like I’m throwing the ball well. I think my stuff’s been good. The velocity’s there. I know we’ve been working on the cutter, sweeper, just getting that sharpened up a little bit. I think things have been trending in the right direction.”

The IronPigs are happy to have the experience of a pitcher who’s played in parts of six seasons in the major leagues and racked up 37 saves. Trivino is currently the oldest player on the roster, but Lehigh Valley still believes he has plenty to offer.

“I think it’s a huge pickup for us,” Contreras said. “I think it kind of checks a lot of boxes. It gives us some depth. He’s a veteran arm that has pitched in some big games and pitched for some big teams. He looks healthy, he’s throwing the ball well and hopefully the Phillies can utilize him down the road.”

With 36 games left in the season for Lehigh Valley, Trivino’s stay with the IronPigs might not be for too long. But he found the right fit at this point in the year and at this stage in his career.

“If I’m gonna be in Triple-A, I would much rather be home in a place that I know and around family and friends,” Trivino said. “So that was kind of one of the big deciding factors.”