The Nationals have agreed to a minor-league deal with southpaw Vidal Nuno, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred (via Twitter). He’ll receive an invitation to participate in MLB Spring Training as well as opt-out opportunities if he doesn’t earn a roster spot. Nuno would earn at a $1.3MM rate in the big leagues.
Nuno, 31, turned in a sparkling 1.64 ERA in 33 frames last year for the Rays. His underlying peripherals, however, were not quite so promising as the bottom-line results would otherwise suggest. Nuno was helped along by a .216 batting average on balls in play and 100% strand rate.
Teams clearly do not anticipate that Nuno will be capable of replicating his 2018 output; otherwise, he’d have been claimed when he was outrighted after the end of the season or would have commanded a MLB deal in free agency. Still, he seems to be a worthwhile depth piece, having compiled a 4.06 ERA with 7.5 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9 over nearly four hundred career frames at the game’s highest level.
For the Nats, Nuno could represent both rotation and left-handed relief depth. He took ten starts at Triple-A last year but has mostly worked out of the pen in recent major league campaigns. Historically, Nuno has found much greater success against same-handed hitters, so he could compete for a LOOGY job in camp.
me
He does make an ok shampoo. Or used to anyway
Head and Shoulders above the competition…….
ROFLMFAO
Vidal Sassoon LOL
If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.
as long as he produces better then he did in 2017 he could be a boon for Washington.
Left handed + pulse = chance
Sign me up then.
Under-the-radar pick up. Southpaw, that’s always a plus.
Wow, the Nationals are looking great. They have a competitive team with or without Harper. Definitely Nuno will help the Nationals.
This guy is gonna play til he’s 40 and it’s been smoke and mirrors since day one.
The Nationals bullpen could use an effective LOOGY. Hope Nuno can fill that role.
Now sign Harper and trade Eaton to Cincinnati than trade for Bumgarner or cluber .
Kluber*