In a rare post August 2 trade, the Philadelphia Phillies have acquired veteran reliever Vinny Nittoli from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league catcher Karl Ellison. The move was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Nittoli is likely to be activated ahead of the Phils’ series opener on Thursday in San Francisco.
Nittoli, who appeared with Seattle in 2021, spent the season in the minor leagues thus making him eligible to be traded after the MLB trade deadline. The 31-year old right hander was reportedly going to exercise an opt-out in his minor league contract with Toronto before being traded to the Phillies.
A 25th round pick of the Mariners in the 2014 MLB Draft, Nittoli had a 3.30 ERA with 44 Ks, a .202 BAA, and a 1.06 WHIP between stints with Scranton-Wilkes Barre (Yankees) and Buffalo (Toronto). He made his Major League debut last season for the Mariners allowing two earned runs in one inning of work. He was released by Seattle prior to the start of the 2022 season.
