Cubs add more bullpen depth with veteran signing Vinny Nittoli |
We are getting to the point of the MLB offseason, where most teams have finalized their offseason moves and are preparing for spring. That doesn't mean all is quiet, as most organizations will continue to make moves, with most coming at the minor league level. That is what the Cubs have been doing the past few weeks, and they continued that Thursday with the addition of Vinny Nittoli.
The 32-year-old Nittoli is a well-traveled veteran who will give the Cubs another bullpen option to use, but will be on a Minor League deal. The good news is that he will get an invite to spring, as that will allow him a chance to make the team out of camp. Looking at his contract and you will find it very interesting as his total salary differs by 600K. Should he make the MLB roster, Nittoli is set to make 775K. Should he remain in the minors, that goes down to 162K, so there is a lot of motivation for him to perform well this spring. Although he had limited action last season, appearing in just two games for the Phillies. He pitched a ton in AAA in the Yankees and Blue Jays organizations. Nittoli has pitched in the big leagues and at Triple-A for five different organizations over the last two years, and eyeballing his travel log suggests he’s one of those guys who is good enough to hang around. However, he hasn’t quite established himself in anyone’s bullpen yet, which is why he is one of those MLB/AAA borderline pitchers hoping to latch onto a 40-man roster. Earlier this offseason, the Cubs got together with the Phillies and sent then-reliever Erich Uelmen to Philadelphia in exchange for cash. Nittoli is essentially going to take Uelmen's roster spot this spring, and you have to wonder if his name was thrown into the Uelmen deal to get the Cubs to sign him. 2022 was a very good season for Nittoli, and he is hoping that can carry over into this season. Most of his time last year was spent in the Yankees organization, where he posted a 3.44 ERA across 36 2/3 innings. During that time, he was very effective, striking out nearly 30% of the batters he faced while walking just 8%. You would think that would be good enough to earn at least a chance at sticking with the big club. Even with those numbers, Nittoli had one issue he couldn't shake as the long ball bit him in a big way. Nittoli allowed 1.23 homers per nine innings which may not seem like a ton, but that is the equivalent of one homer every three outings. He opted out of his deal at midseason, joining the Blue Jays on a minor league deal, pitching well again, and then opting out again. The Phillies picked him up at that point and put him on their big league roster down the stretch. The Cubs have had a lot of success rehabilitating this profile and helping them become very productive big leaguers. Keep on taking these swings. The cost is minimal, and the upside is surprisingly effective. They were probably already looking at him last season, but didn't want to trade for him as that would have forced them to put him on the 40-man roster. Although he is older than you would like, he has minor-league options and won't hit arbitration for several more years. That won't be an issue for the Cubs, as they will likely not have him by the time he hits arbitration. Don't be surprised if he has an early opt-out clause in his contract like last season in case he fails to reach the majors. Ideally, you would like hard-throwing relievers that sit at 96 plus with their heater. Nittoli is far from that and averages around 92.6 Mph on his fastball. Like Uelmen, however, Nittoli has an excellent sweeping slider that has become his outpitch, and he is not afraid to use it in any count. This is another low-risk and low-cost move that won't cost the Cubs anything if he fails, but it would be very rewarding if he sticks. Cubs split-contract signee, Vinny Nittoli isn’t a huge velo guy (avg 92.6 mph with the four seam), but he also features a mini sweeper slider with just under 10 inches of sweep. Good strikeout numbers in the minors. Nice low-risk move.
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