The Mets have signed right-hander Vinny Nittoli to a minor league deal, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports (X link). Nittoli became a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment from the Orioles at the start of August, and he’ll now return for a second stint in Queens after appearing in three games for the Mets in 2023.
Nittoli has been a member of 11 different organizations since he was a 25th-round pick for the Mariners in the 2014 draft, and he has suited up for five of those teams at the Major League level during the 2021-24 seasons. His 12 innings in 2024 represent the bulk of his 18 2/3 career innings in the Show, and Nittoli has a 1.50 ERA in those 12 frames with the A’s and Orioles.
In keeping with the journeyman nature of Nittoli’s career, the Mets are now his fourth team in the last two months. He started the 2024 season on a minor league deal with the Athletics but was then designated for assignment and released after he opted for free agency rather than an outright assignment to the minors. Nittoli then caught on with the Cubs on a big league contract but was DFA’ed again just a day after signing that contract, marking the second time that Nittoli has been part of the Cubs organization without pitching in a Major League game for the Wrigleyville side. Nittoli then landed with the Orioles on another minors deal and made two appearances at the MLB level before another trip to DFA limbo.
There has naturally been some inconsistency baked into Nittoli’s 4.33 ERA in 320 career minor league innings, as he has shown enough flashes of higher performance to continually draw interest from teams looking to add long relief depth. While Nittoli has posted good strikeout numbers in the past, his 36% strikeout rate in 26 1/3 Triple-A innings this season represents a new career best, and he has a strong 2.73 ERA pitching for the Athletics’ and Orioles’ top affiliates.
Be the first to comment