The Mariners introduced Friday that they’ve launched veteran right-hander Neftali Feliz. He’d been in camp as a non-roster invitee this spring however is as soon as once more a free agent. Seattle additionally optioned righty Will Klein to Triple-A Tacoma and reassigned non-roster gamers Samad Taylor and Nick Dunn to minor league camp.
Feliz, 37 in Might, hasn’t pitched within the massive leagues since 2021 and has simply 4 MLB frames to his credit score because the 2017 season. The 2010 American League Rookie of the Yr has spent the previous few years pitching within the Mexican League and within the Dominican Winter League. He launched into a comeback bid with the Mariners and pitched 4 official innings throughout Cactus League play, yielding three runs on six hits and no walks with one strikeout.
Throughout his three-year run in a very hitter-friendly Mexican League, he’s pitched fairly nicely. He’s pitched out of the bullpen for 4 totally different golf equipment and logged a 2.37 ERA with a 26.3% strikeout fee and 9.8% stroll fee in 121 2/3 innings. He’s constantly pitched nicely with a pair of winter ball golf equipment as nicely.
At his peak, Feliz averaged higher than 96 mph on his heater — he sat 92-94 mph together with his four-seamer in his ultimate Mariners outing this spring — and fanned greater than 28% of his opponents on the energy of a hearty 14.1% swinging-strike fee. Accidents, most notably together with Tommy John surgical procedure and ulnar nerve palsy, slowed his profession. He posted a dominant 2.53 ERA with 87 saves and 12 holds in 241 2/3 frames by means of his age-26 season however has managed solely 151 massive league innings with a 5.16 earned run common since.
One other membership can now speculate on Feliz if his work in Mariners camp intrigued them, and it’s additionally possible that he might return for a fourth yr in Mexico, given the success he’s had there relationship again to 2022.
