The Twins have signed veteran right-hander Nick Vincent to a minor league contract, as first indicated on the transactions log at MLB.com. He’ll report to Triple-A St. Paul, MLBTR has confirmed.
Vincent, a client of PSI Sports Management, was released from a minor league deal with the Rangers just yesterday. The nine-year MLB veteran has long been a steady, late-inning presence but settled for a non-guaranteed pact this winter despite a mostly solid effort in 2020. The 34-year-old logged a 4.43 ERA out of the Marlins’ bullpen last year but saw his strikeout rate drop to a career-low 18.5 percent in the process. He’s opened the 2021 campaign with 15 1/3 innings of 4.11 ERA ball in Triple-A Round Rock, striking out 29.7 percent of opponents against a 9.5 percent walk rate.
It’s been a couple years since Vincent was at his absolute best. He logged identical 4.43 ERAs in 2019-20. However, in the seven seasons prior, he pitched to a combined 3.17 ERA and 3.27 SIERA with a 24.6 percent strikeout rate and a strong 6.1 percent walk rate. He’s never been an overpowering arm, living in the 89-91 mph range with his four-seamer, but he’s still managed about a strikeout per inning in his career to go along with plenty of weak pop-ups.
Minnesota is off today after a two-game set against the Reds that proved taxing on its bullpen despite its brevity. The Twins and Reds went 12 innings Monday night, and Minnesota used five relievers in a back-and-forth loss to Cincinnati yesterday. Vincent won’t be an immediate option barring a quick selection to the MLB roster, but he could get a look before long if he shows well with the Saints.
Relief pitching has been an issue for the Twins all season. Minnesota relievers rank 24th in the Majors with a 4.77 ERA and 25th with a 4.52 FIP. They’re 15th with a 24.4 percent strikeout rate and 12th with a 9.4 percent walk rate. It’s been a generally underwhelming unit, and the Twins have struggled to find reliable arms to round out the final few spots in the mix. Vincent joins fellow veteran Kyle Barraclough as a recent signee who’ll hope to get a look at Target Field before too long.
Eh, I guess if you throw enough crap at the wall something is bound to stick, right? Tribe went through this in 2018. You just gotta keep scrapin’ off the waiver wire until things improve.
You mean it’s possible to only do this in one season or one season at a time? The Twins have been practicing the throw a bunch of junk at the wall and hope it sticks philosophy with pitchers for decades straight now.
Will Wilson Ramos be the next player off the scrap heap?
Used to go see this dude play at lake Elsinore after we graduated high school. Will always root for him. Hopefully he gets the call up!
Knew he wouldn’t be a FA long.
Twins dont need Ramos with the young guys they have and going nowhere as a team.
That comment of mine, as many often are, was meant to be sarcastic.
This is a good move by the Twins. They need some relief help and Vincent at least has a good track record. He isn’t crap on the wall as one commenter stated. He has a history and it is better than mediocre.
Why do you change your username and have conversations with yourself Tipsy McStagger aka trillaryhump16 aka AustinKearnsIsNotGod?