NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Cubs have made a move to bolster their bullpen, but it’s only about as exciting as a June 27 free agent signing can get – which is to say, not especially exciting.
The Cubs are signing old friend Vinny Nittoli to a big league deal:
Stay tuned on corresponding moves, as Nittoli will require a 26-man roster spot and a 40-man roster spot. Could be that someone is newly hurt (26-man spot?) or you option someone like Hayden Wesneski to keep starting at Iowa, and that someone else who is already hurt is being transferred to the 60-day IL (40-man spot?).
Nittoli was very close to making the Cubs last year, and is one of those perpetual borderline MLB/Triple-A guys, with flashes of being a good big leaguer. He’s received only 14.2 innings of work total across the last four seasons with four different teams (3.07 ERA, 5.02 FIP), but he’s clearly been juuuuuust interesting enough to a number of organizations (including the Cubs last spring). Maybe something finally clicks. You never know. Nittoli had a 2.70 ERA at Triple-A for the A’s this year, with a 36.0% strikeout rate.
In practical effect, what this means is that the Cubs were willing to give Nittoli a 26-man roster spot, and that is presumably what it took to get him (over other potential minor league offers). It does not mean they have to keep him in the bullpen all season or whatever, as he could be DFA’d later with relatively little consequence, since, for the Cubs, he is now on a MLB minimum deal. It is similar to the Tyson Miller move in that regard.
In other words, this is kind of not a big deal for a bullpen with all kinds of issues. It falls into the ever growing “whatever-why-not” category of moves made in the bullpen, in game and out of game. We’ve seen it click with other borderline guys here, and I have a really hard time complaining about a no-cost bullpen attempt at this point. The rest of the setup isn’t working.
That said, would I prefer the Cubs just call up Ethan Roberts or Hunter Bigge at this point? Definitely. Would I prefer the Cubs give the medium-ish-leverage innings (that I’m assuming Nittoli will get as a try out) to some of their younger arms? I would.
But whatever. Try anything at this point.
