The Brewers have agreed to terms with reliever Vinny Nittoli on a minor league contract for next season, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (X link). He’ll get an invitation to big league Spring Training.
Nittoli, 34 in November, had an eventful 2024 campaign. While he only made nine appearances at the major league level, he was a part of four organizations. He began the season with the A’s on a minor league deal. They selected his contract and he pitched seven times, allowing two runs through eight innings. Nittoli cleared waivers after being designated for assignment and successively signed with the Cubs and Orioles. He didn’t pitch in the majors for Chicago and made two appearances with Baltimore, tossing four scoreless frames. He finished his season on a minor league deal with the Mets. He opted out of his deal with New York at the end of August and has been a free agent for a month.
The Xavier product has pitched in the majors in four consecutive seasons. This year’s 12 innings are a personal high. Nittoli has tossed 18 2/3 frames overall, allowing five runs. He has a 4.80 earned run average over parts of five years in Triple-A. Nittoli fared better at that level this season, working to a 3.60 ERA while punching out more than a third of his opponents across 30 innings.
Milwaukee has shown a knack for getting good work out of low-cost bullpen pickups. Nittoli’s big swing-and-miss numbers made him an early target for the Brew Crew, who add to next spring’s bullpen competition even as they prepare for their upcoming Wild Card series against New York.
Brewers wasting no time hot-stoving.
You beat me to the hot-stove joke!
I get to do it next
They went and got my piesan! FUGHEDABOUTIT!
He’d make a nice chocolate spread competitor
I wonder if they promised him a roster spot, otherwise why sign a minor league deal this early?
Any fringe major league pitcher would beg to come to Milwaukee. The crew is about the best chance to become a successful bullpen arm now.
Maybe because he opted out of his latest minor league deal in August and went unsigned for the rest of the ’24 season? This way he knows he’ll be on a roster to start next spring and not stress over it for potentially weeks or months.
Milwaukee has had an incredible run with arms the league has more or less given up on. There have certainly been guys who still couldn’t get it together there, but if I was a journeyman reliever, the Brewers is where I’d wanna be.
Outside of Devin & Ashby, the entire pen is guys they got off the scrap heap and helped turn into quality bullpen arms.
Mets should wear yellow cleats; they win in those. Brewers signed nattoli to get intelligence on Mets pitchers and hitters and signs. No other reason to sign natoli at this exact moment
A fresh take. Not sure how accurate, but would explain a signing this time of year. Though he was only in Mets minor leagues.
Theres nothing this guy knows that couldnt be found with video review. This isnt the NFL. Plus the Brewers havent needed his help to wipe the floor with the Mets this season.