The Mariners have signed Neftali Feliz to a minor league deal
Pitcher Neftali Feliz, the Texas Rangers’ closer for their two A.L. Championship teams from…damn, its like 15 years ago? We’re old.
Anyway, Feliz has been signed to a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners, with an invite to the major league camp.
My initial reaction to seeing this was, wait, Neftali Feliz is still around? And he kind of hasn’t really been. Feliz last pitched for a major league organization in 2021, when spent time with the AAA teams of the Phillies and Dodgers while also managing four major league innings over five appearances between the two teams. Since then he has been pitching in the Mexican League during the summer and the Dominican Winter League in the Winter. Had a 1.38 ERA for Durango in the Mexican League last year and a 1.93 ERA for Yucatan in the Mexican League, with 36 Ks against 10 walks in 35.1 IP.
Feliz, who turns 37 in May, would seem to be a longshot, at best, to make the Mariners, but hey, I have to admit I’m kind of rooting for him. I will always have a soft spot for Neftali Feliz.