Another Former Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher Becomes Available

A former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher is now back on the market after opting out of his deal with a division rival.

Jun 23, 2021; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Vinny Nittoli (46) is pictured in the dugout during a game against the Colorado Rockies at T-Mobile Park. The Rockies won 5-2 / Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

Right now, the pitching situation of the Philadelphia Phillies is firmly in the spotlight.

Taijuan Walker's horrendous play has caused there to be a major issue in their rotation as the team has now lost nine games in a row whenever he is handed the ball.

For whatever reason, the organization still is holding onto him despite his clear inability to get Major League batters out at a high level, although there is some speculation Wednesday's performance might have been the last straw.

But, if they were to release or demote the veteran pitcher, that brings into question who their fifth starter would be with Spencer Turnbull still on the 60-day injured list.

Kolby Allard or Tyler Phillips seem like logical choices, but both have struggled in different areas despite showing some bright spots at times.

Whatever the Phillies decide to do, it's clear something has to be done, but if they do turn back to either Allard or Phillips, that would leave an opening on their Triple-A affiliate's roster they would likely want to backfill.

Someone they could turn to is a familiar face in Vinny Nittoli.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported the right-hander opted out of his contract with the New York Mets and is now available to be signed by any team entering the final month of the season.

The 33-year-old was with Philadelphia back in 2022, getting called up for two games where he pitched two scoreless innings without allowing a single hit.

Nittoli has appeared in 15 MLB games with five different teams during the past four seasons.

Originally a 25th round draft pick by the Seattle Mariners back in 2014, he made his debut with them seven years later and has bounced around recently looking for a long-term home in a Major League bullpen.