As the Phillies continue to search for ways to add to their big-league roster this winter, the club reportedly signed a reliever to a minor-league deal on Thursday. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, left-hander Nick Vespi has signed with the organization.
Vespi, 29, has spent the last three years going up and down between the majors and minors in the Orioles organization. He was an 18th-round pick by Baltimore in 2015.
As Gelb noted, Vespi has a 3.88 ERA major-league ERA over the last three years, pitching 53 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old figures to be bullpen depth. He’ll have an invitation to major-league spring training, according to Gelb.
In 11 games with the Orioles last season, Vespi allowed four earned runs in 12 1/3 innings. At Triple-A Norfolk, he posted a 7.23 ERA in 29 appearances.
The left-hander doesn’t throw anything straight, as he offers batters a look at a cutter, slider and curveball. His cutter averaged 89.3 mph in the bigs in 2024.
