Ángel Nesbitt

Career

Nesbitt was signed by the Detroit Tigers as an international free agent in April 2009. He made his professional debut that year with the VSL Tigers of the Venezuelan Summer League, and played for them until 2011. He spent 2012 with the Connecticut Tigers and 2013 with the West Michigan Whitecaps. In 2014 he pitched for the Lakeland Flying Tigers and Erie SeaWolves, combining for a 1.48 ERA and 20 saves in 48 games. He was added to the Tigers 40-man roster on November 20, 2014.

Despite having never pitched above Double-A in his minor league career, Nesbitt made the Tigers' Opening Day roster out of spring training in 2015. He made his Major league debut on April 8, retiring the only batter he faced, and earned his first win on May 12. On June 13, after conceding runs in five of his previous six appearances, Nesbitt was optioned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. In 24 games with Detroit, Nesbitt pitched to a 5.40 ERA, striking out 14 in 21.2 innings pitched. Nesbitt struggled in Toledo as well, pitching to a 6.25 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 21 walks in 40.1 innings pitched, and as a result, wasn't recalled to Detroit when the rosters expanded in September.

Fighting for a spot in the bullpen for 2016, Nesbitt injured his ankle during spring training, and opened the season in May with Lakeland on a rehab assignment before being optioned to Toledo. After pitching to a 6.66 ERA in 20 appearances with Toledo, Nesbitt was demoted back to Erie. Across all three minor league levels in 2016, Nesbitt went 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA, striking out 42 and walking 19 in 47.2 innings pitched. On December 23, Nesbitt was designated for assignment, but remained in the organization when he was outrighted on January 6, 2017.