The Tigers signed veteran righty Nick Vincent to a minor league deal late last week and assigned him to Triple-A Toledo. The move flew a bit under our radar, as the organization never formally announced it, but Vincent has already made a pair of scoreless appearances in his new environs.
Vincent, who turned 36 just two days ago, is a veteran of ten Major League seasons. The PSI Sports Management client opened the 2022 season with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, pitching to a lackluster 5.12 ERA but turning in a brilliant 27-to-4 K/BB ratio over his 19 1/3 innings there. Atlanta released him last month.
Perhaps due to the fact that he’s a soft-tossing righty who’s never averaged even 91 mph on his heater, Vincent has been a rather unheralded reliever throughout his career — at least relative to his overall success. The right-hander has been rocksteady throughout his big league tenure, posting a career 3.30 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate through 411 2/3 frames dating back to his 2012 debut with the Padres. Vincent has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in eight of his ten seasons in the Majors, and the only two exceptions were consecutive 4.43 ERA campaigns in 2019-20. He’s never been a full-time closer, but Vincent does have seven big league saves in addition to 97 career holds.
The Tigers have disappointed in general this season but have one of the most effective bullpens in Major League Baseball. However, with the trade deadline under three weeks away and several relievers coming up on free agency either at this season’s end or after the 2023 campaign, that group figures to generate plenty of trade interest over the next 19 days. Detroit could use any newly created vacancies to take a look at some additional young arms, but Vincent will give them a veteran option to help stabilize things if there is indeed something of a bullpen exodus in advance of this season’s Aug. 2 trade deadline.
Good piece. I agree that the likelihood of moving at least two bullpen arms by the trade deadline makes Vincent a good candidate for promotion back to MLB. This is a good move for both parties.
Akil Baddoo’s promotion and Kody Clemens’ demotion went under the radar, too. Baddoo was tearing it up in AAA Toledo.
No now, but Clemens has 2/3 homers already
Good eye. Not a SO pitcher, lets hope for the best……
Wow. It’s surprising to me that he was without a team. Good pickup.
Tigers will have 3-4 bullpen vacancies after the trade deadline.
Big opportunities for pitchers seeking to prove themselves at the MLB level.
Like to see the Tigers get some real top prospects back in the deals
to help make them more competitive in 2023.
Amen! Flip Fulmer and Chafin to one team for their #5 prospect (for example) rather than two #15 prospects from separate teams.
Sure, that’ll happen given that it is exactly how Creative Al Avila has always operated.
Fulmer and Chafin are worth more than that.
Chafin might be worth that since he has an option for year two at a reasonable rate
Fulmer is closer material and other teams are looking at him for that.
Either get “high value” for Fulmer or sign him to an extension to close
for the Tigers in ’23-’25
Fulmer isn’t going anywhere if they trade anyone it will be Soto. They want Fulmer as there future closer
With Avila.!!??
Daniel Norris trade from last year looking pretty good…
Al has a terrible trading history but even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and again. That being said….Al is not a squirrel
But he does appear to be blind so he’s already halfway there!
He is terrible
More nut than squirrel.
Call this guy up next time instead of Drew Hutchinson Al for the love of god. Or at least Chase Anderson. So sick of seeing Hutch in the English D.
Vincent is the kind of guys the Tigers should be picking up, or Clippard. Not Barnes and Hutchinson lol. I know Vincent can’t start but when you gotta resort to a bag of balls….
Not sure Al Avila knows the nut from the tree.
He has not been the luckiest when it comes to making deals.
That said, perhaps it’s time for a change in GM’s? I think there are better candidates out there to improve your ball club
I think the outstanding bullpen is more due to AJ Hinch ability to manage a bullpen.