Tampa Bay Rays sign LHP Vidal Nuno and LHP Adam Kolarek to minor league deals

The Tampa Bay Rays have already been very active this off-season as they’ve made several personnel changes throughout the organization with the coaching staff receiving a complete overhaul and nine players leaving the major league squad as free agents as well as 18 minor leaguers.

Now, the Rays are starting to bring in players as they have reached deals with a couple of left-handed pitchers, Vidal Nuno and Adam Kolarek, on minor league deals.

Nuno, 30, is a former Yankees prospect who has been pitching in the majors on-and-off since 2013 with limited success along the way. He has made stops with the Yankees, Diamondbacks, Mariners, and he spent the 2017 season with the Baltimore Orioles. Nuno, a former starting pitcher, can eat some innings out of the bullpen and will serve as depth in Durham.

Kolarek, 28, finally broke into the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2017 after eight seasons in the minors with the New York Mets. After changing his mechanics, Kolarek became a groundball machine, generating over 70% of his balls in play on the ground with Durham this past season. Kolarek is likely ticketed for Durham, but he’ll compete for a bullpen spot during spring training.