Headlines

  • Blue Jays Sign Chad Green
  • Rays Extend Yandy Diaz
  • Dexter Fowler Announces Retirement
  • Mets Sign Jeff McNeil To Four-Year Extension
  • Red Sox, Marlins Swap Matt Barnes For Richard Bleier
  • Darren O’Day Announces Retirement
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • Top 50 Free Agents
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Cubs, Vinny Nittoli Agree To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | January 12, 2023 at 9:48am CDT

The Cubs and free agent right-hander Vinny Nittoli are in agreement on a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training, tweets USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. The Gaeta Sports Management client would earn a $775K salary in the big leagues. The Phillies designated Nittoli for assignment last week and released him a couple days ago, but he’ll only have a brief stay on the free-agent market.

The 32-year-old Nittoli made his big league debut in 2021 when he tossed an inning for the Mariners, capping off an eight-year grind to the big leagues. The former 25th-rounder spent the 2022 season with three different organizations, logging time with the Triple-A affiliates for the Yankees, Blue Jays and Phillies. He reached the Majors with Philadelphia in September, tossing a pair of scoreless innings out of their bullpen in the season’s final month.

In 52 innings between those three Triple-A clubs, Nittoli turned in a 3.81 ERA with a stout 30.8% strikeout rate and a similarly impressive 6.7% walk rate. He’s not a flamethrower, as his average 93 mph heater in the big leagues has been about a half mile per hour slower than the leaguewide average. That said, Nittoli still has plus strikeout and walk rates throughout his minor league career, including parts of three Triple-A seasons. He also has a minor league option year remaining, so if the Cubs select him to the 40-man roster at any point, he can be shuttled between Iowa and Chicago in 2023 without needing to first clear waivers.

The Cubs have had a quiet offseason on the bullpen front, which is line with recent trends for them. The front office has generally eschewed large-scale, costly additions since the ill-fated signing of Craig Kimbrel. Thus far, Chicago’s lone big league addition has been a one-year, $2.8MM deal for veteran Brad Boxberger. Nittoli, meanwhile, will join a growing list of non-roster invitees hoping to win a spot in a generally inexperienced Cubs ’pen; Chicago has also added right-hander Nick Neidert and southpaws Ryan Borucki, Roenis Elias and Eric Stout on non-roster deals this winter.

Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Chicago Cubs Transactions Vinny Nittoli

Rangers, Sandy Leon Agree To Minor League Deal
Main
Phillies, Vimael Machin Agree To Minor League Deal
View Comments (18)

Comments

  1. baseballpun

    3 weeks ago

    OH! Vinny Nittoli ovah here!

    Reply
    • Yankee Clipper

      3 weeks ago

      “Hey, what are you lookin’ at? YOU, yeah I’m talkin’ to you!”

      “It’s my guy, ovah here. My guy. My guy.”

      Reply
  2. riffraff

    3 weeks ago

    They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse

    Reply
  3. baseballdadof4

    3 weeks ago

    Hey! It’s My Cousin, Vinny!

    Reply
    • Logjammer D"Baggagecling

      3 weeks ago

      Underrated movie. It’s been years since I’ve seen it. Yesterday was the first time in probably 20 years I watched Twins.

      Reply
      • rememberthecoop

        3 weeks ago

        Yeah I agree. Good movie.

        Reply
  4. snoopy369

    3 weeks ago

    I’m always curious when I see these minor league relievers who seem to have decent numbers but don’t get much of a shot. Is it the lack of differentiation (they’re basically generic pitchers, no high fastball, no high movement, decent but not amazing command) or is there something the numbers don’t tell? Or just bad luck?

    Reply
    • CarverAndrews

      3 weeks ago

      There is much that the numbers don’t tell, exacerbated by the fact that those that are pure numbers guys are not qualified to interpret the subject matter with the larger perspective anyway. Frankly, we see that on here all of the time.

      Each level up is a filter. At the major league level, the jump from AAA to the show is the biggest one of all. Even the “scrubs” that are career reserves are awesome ballplayers for the most part. The pitchers that make it in MLB have something that separates them and allows them to get the best of the best out often enough and effectively enough to become successful.

      Even in AAA, a solid pitcher that knows what he is doing can have decent numbers, as the level of competition will allow for some success. A very high % of the AAA lineups are filled with players that will not be quality mlb players so even though the competition is still steep the numbers can look okay. But something more is needed at an elite level to do that consistently in the majors. Elite velo…movement…incredible command. The tools have to be available to work with, when combined with the work ethic to master the craft as well.

      Reply
      • rememberthecoop

        3 weeks ago

        Can’t measure intangibles.

        Reply
  5. TheDayMILBDied

    3 weeks ago

    What is a ‘Yute’?

    Reply
  6. Awesom-O

    3 weeks ago

    I approve this signing on name alone.

    Reply
  7. Manfred Rob's Earth Band

    3 weeks ago

    Yuge signing. Fuhgedaboutit!

    Reply
  8. leftykoufax

    3 weeks ago

    I named my dog after you : )

    Reply
  9. junkyard

    3 weeks ago

    Take the bump, put in Nattoli. Hopefully he doesn’t have spaghetti for an arm.

    Reply
  10. Jacksson13

    3 weeks ago

    Vinny comment to the teams that didn’t sign him,
    “Up your nose with a rubber hose”.

    Reply
  11. BenBenBen

    3 weeks ago

    “which is line with recent trends for them”

    Hire a freaking editor.

    Also, stop writing like this:

    “Nittoli, meanwhile, will join a growing list of non-roster invitees hoping to win a spot in a generally inexperienced Cubs ’pen””

    When you can write like this:

    “Meanwhile, Nittoli will join a growing list of non-roster invitees hoping to win a spot in a generally inexperienced Cubs ’pen”

    Reply
    • mike127

      3 weeks ago

      Grammatical nitpicks aside—the problem with that paragraph’s beginning is that it is 100% WRONG AND FALSE.

      “The Cubs have had a quiet offseason on the bullpen front, which is line with recent trends for them.”

      There is absolutely no trend that the Cubs have had quiet offseasons on the bullpen front. Good or bad (mostly good) in the last few years they have signed/acquired the likes of David Robertson, Mychal Givens, Daniel Norris, Chris Martin, Sean Newcomb, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and more helpful pieces.

      Bullpen is absolutely the one area where the front office has actually been very adept at acquiring pieces (and then trading them) and have been very, very, very far from quiet in the most recent offseasons.

      Reply
  12. SaveTheEmbers_33

    3 weeks ago

    Relievers are so volatile that I don’t mind shopping around in the bargain bin for relievers. Sometimes you strike gold that way. Cubs have been good at this. Plus they have a lot of young arms in the minors who I’m sure they’d like to give a look to this year.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Blue Jays Sign Chad Green

    Rays Extend Yandy Diaz

    Dexter Fowler Announces Retirement

    Mets Sign Jeff McNeil To Four-Year Extension

    Red Sox, Marlins Swap Matt Barnes For Richard Bleier

    Darren O’Day Announces Retirement

    Royals To Re-Sign Zack Greinke

    Braves Extend Manager Brian Snitker Through 2025

    Rays Sign Pete Fairbanks To Extension

    Royals Sign Aroldis Chapman To One-Year Deal

    Athletics Sign Jesús Aguilar

    Orioles Acquire Cole Irvin From A’s

    Astros Name Dana Brown General Manager

    Rays Extend Jeffrey Springs

    Royals, Red Sox Swap Adalberto Mondesi For Josh Taylor

    Red Sox Designate Matt Barnes For Assignment

    Scott Rolen Elected Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

    Red Sox Sign Adam Duvall

    Brad Ausmus Reportedly Among Astros’ GM Finalists

    Mike Clevinger Under Investigation For Domestic Violence Allegations

    Recent

    Extension Candidate: Dylan Cease

    Mariners Win Arbitration Case Against Diego Castillo

    Mariners, Kyle Tyler Agree To Minor League Contract

    Dodgers Move Danny Lehmann To Bench Coach

    MLBTR Chat Transcript

    Reds Sign Jason Vosler To Minor League Deal

    Braves Sign Yolmer Sanchez To Minor League Deal

    Mets’ Khalil Lee Under Investigation Following Assault Allegations

    Read The Transcript Of Our Chat Hosted By Former MLB Outfielder Chad Hermansen

    Dodgers, Matt Andriese Agree To Minor League Deal

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Offseason Outlook Series
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2023
    • 2022-23 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version