Giants Sign Veteran Reliever Nick Vincent to Minor League Contract

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Nick Vincent was the latest veteran to walk into Giants camp on a minor league deal, and he arrived just in time for the annual visit from the MLB Players Association. That's a meeting Vincent is looking forward to. 

The 32-year-old has a 3.17 ERA in seven seasons for the Padres and Mariners, and FIP (3.09) likes him even more. Vincent is durable, with three straight 60-appearance seasons for the Mariners, and he had a 3.99 ERA in 62 appearances last season, striking out nearly a batter per inning. 

That's the type of reliever who should be locked onto a roster at the start of camp. Vincent walked in two days before the first Cactus League game.

"We're not Bryce Harpers," he said of the vast majority of the players still on the market. "You've got to prove you can pitch."

Vincent, a right-hander, certainly can. The Giants know him well, having watched him when he posted a 2.63 ERA in four seasons with the Padres. Vincent knows them well, too. He recalled how many times he had to face the Giants from 2012-2015. 

"That's when they were the champions every other year," he said. "I always hated them. When I played against them, I couldn't stand them. But I always knew it was a good organization looking at how they carried themselves on the field and how it was run."

The San Diego-area native knows his new manager a bit. He played catch in the offseason with Brett Bochy a couple of years ago.

Vincent has a strong track record, but walked into a crowded room. The Giants return all of their contributors from last year's bullpen except Hunter Strickland - who is with Vincent's old team, the Mariners - and they've added several intriguing arms over the offseason. Vincent is the latest, even if he had to wait a while. 

[RELATED: Giants 'trying hard' for Bryce Harper, but not optimistic]

"It's a crazy free agent market right now," he said. "Hopefully it gets better."

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