SF Giants: Veteran Bullpen Arm Signs with Rangers

The Texas Rangers continue to bolster bullpen depth and they added one more name to the mix by signing a former SF Giants reliever.

Former SF Giants right-handed hurler Nick Vincent is on his way to the Rangers on a minor-league pact with an invite to Spring Training, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

The veteran reliever has had two, separate stints with the Giants, but you will only see one stint on his Baseball-Reference page. Vincent officially appeared with San Francisco in 2019 but was designated for assignment midway through the season.

Former SF Giants reliever signs with the Texas Rangers

With the Giants, Vincent posted a 5.58 ERA, 5.30 FIP, 1,44 WHIP, and a 3.75 SO/W ratio. He often came in to eat up innings in blowout losses. Furthermore, he holds a unique part in recent Giants history as the first reliever to be used as an opener.  However, he sustained a neck injury in late May and was placed on waivers by the time he was healthy enough to return.

The 34-year-old finished the 2019 season with the Philadelphia Phillies where he recorded a 1.93 ERA across 14 September innings down the stretch.

He then re-signed with the Giants last offseason on a minor-league pact with an invite to Spring Training.  He struggled through a couple of Cactus League appearances and was released shortly thereafter. Vincent signed on with the Miami Marlins for the 2020 season and did well to soak up some innings.

He registered a 4.43 ERA, 5.52 FIP, 1.29 WHIP, and a 2.83 SO/W ratio in 22.1 innings with a Marlins team that quietly snuck into the playoffs.

Interestingly, the righty is not too similar to the modern-day bullpen arm in that he does not flash premium velocity. He pitches comfortably in the strike zone with a fastball that regularly clocks below 90-MPH. However, the fastball generates a high-spin rate while getting plenty of rise to induce a lot of swinging-strikes.

Over the years, it has been his most effective pitch despite appearing unusually average. In his brief tenure with San Francisco, he proved to be a strike-thrower who knew how to sequence and locate his pitches to get outs. He will compete for a role in the Rangers bullpen in a year when teams will need a little extra depth.