Feliz lands 1-year, $3.9-million deal with Pirates
Following a frustrating season that saw his seven-year tenure in Texas come to an end, veteran reliever Neftali Feliz will attempt to rebound with the Pittsburgh Pirates after agreeing Wednesday to a one-year deal worth a reported $3.9 million with the club.
Feliz, an All-Star in 2010, endured the worst year of his career this past summer after rebounding nicely in 2014 following a spate of injuries. The 27-year-old stumbled to an ugly 6.38 ERA - the second-worst mark among relievers - with a 1.56 WHIP over 48 appearances split between the Rangers and Detroit Tigers, who signed him in July after he was outrighted by Texas and subsequently became a free agent.
Despite posting a 2.53 ERA over parts of six seasons prior to 2015 - albeit while missing most of 2012 and 2013 following Tommy John surgery - Feliz was non-tendered by the Tigers earlier this offseason. Still, though Feliz struggled last summer, the former closer posted his best walk rate since 2010, and enjoyed a modest jump in his strikeout rate while logging his most innings in four seasons.
| Season | ERA | FIP | IP | K% | BB% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 1.74 | 2.48 | 31 | 33.3% | 6.8% |
| 2010 | 2.73 | 2.96 | 69.1 | 26.4% | 6.7% |
| 2011 | 2.74 | 3.57 | 62.1 | 21.4% | 11.9% |
| 2012 | 3.16 | 4.64 | 42.2 | 21.1% | 13.1% |
| 2013 | 0.00 | 3.26 | 4.2 | 19.1% | 9.5% |
| 2014 | 1.99 | 4.90 | 31.2 | 17.2% | 9% |
| 2015 | 6.38 | 4.05 | 48 | 18.4% | 8.5 % |
"He has shown the ability to pitch in high leverage situations in the past and we believe we can help him regain that form and be an important part of our 2016 bullpen," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said in a press release.
Feliz is poised to join a bullpen that ranked among the best in baseball in 2015, wherein Pittsburgh's relief corps - anchored by Mark Melancon and Tony Watson - led the National League in ERA (2.67), shutdowns (186), and RA9-WAR (8.9).
In order to accommodate Feliz on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated catcher Tony Sanchez for assignment.