Right-hander Vinny Nittoli is signing a minor league deal with the Orioles, reports Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. He opted out of a minor league pact with the Brewers last week. He’ll report to Triple-A Norfolk in the coming days.
Nittoli, 34, started the season on a minor league deal with the Brewers. He tossed 28 Triple-A innings in that club’s system with a 3.86 earned run average. He had a strong 28.9% strikeout rate with his 8.6% walk rate and 42.9% ground ball rate both close to average.
Despite those fairly solid results, the Brewers didn’t call him up as they have a pretty good bullpen already. Nittoli opted out and has landed with a club where his path to the big leagues should be better. The Orioles are set up to be deadline sellers in the next few weeks. Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto are impending free agents and seem highly likely to be traded. Andrew Kittredge can be controlled for 2026 via a club option but he might be moved as well. A Félix Bautista trade seems unlikely but the O’s are reportedly willing to listen to offers.
One way or another, the Baltimore bullpen should have some openings in the next week or two, which could get Nittoli back to the majors. He has 15 big league appearances under this belt so far, two of which came with the O’s late last year. He has a 2.41 ERA in that small sample of big league work, with a 17.3% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 34.5% ground ball rate. He is out of options but has less than a year of major league service time.
Photo courtesy of D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images
So I don’t follow the Orioles much at all. I thought they were supposed to be the next big dynasty. What happened so quickly? Is it sophomoritis for their young guys or was it something else?
25 guys on IL in 2025 says it all… they had a winning record with about half back…
Some hitters have taken a step back or haven’t taken a step forward. They brought in Tyler O’Neill, which has gone horribly. But the biggest problem was failing to restock the pitching staff in the offseason. They’ve had one of the worst pitching staffs all season, and when combined with a middling lineup, it doesn’t lead to a lot of wins.
Also, the AL East has had a bounce back year and everyone in the division other then Baltimore looks like a probable/possible playoff team, so it’s a bad year to bring anything less then their ‘A’ game.
They replaced a number one starter with three number fives. And injuries.
Elias is putting Fred G. Sanford to shame!
Based on your comments, at least Fred G. Sanford and Mike Elias are better and well-off than you, that’s for sure
Sure, fat George, whatever you say!🤣
When you build a roster during winter, you gotta be 50 players deep and figure at some point you will use all them. Milwaukee is one of the best in doing that construction
Heck, the Dodgers have used over 35 pitchers already this season, excluding position players such as Kike Hernandez. They may need to go to three digit uniform numbers someday.
They’ve used 30 pitchers this year. Last year they used 40 pitchers and won The World Series.
I must have misheard it today when a radio show was talking about it. Even 30 at this point of the season is crazy.
Well we get the gist of what your saying. But its getting to the point that one mlb guy for 3 or 4 prospects aren’t worth it almost. Like I saw a possible trade of Patrick, Black, Yeager and Perkins for Jonson and Albies. Why would you give up 20 years of control for only like 4 yrs of control, especially when that years of control is now and that could be almost 11+ war each year.
I thought Vinny Nittoli was the guy Eliot Ness threw off the courthouse roof in The Untouchables.
no options means possibly an appearance or two before they try to sneak him through waivers to get a fresh arm. after the mini purge, they’ll need optionable arms to chew through