The Pirates have agreed to terms with free agent righty Neftali Feliz, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports on Twitter. The BTI Sports client will receive a $3.9MM guarantee, per Passan, and the contract also includes incentives that could push it to around $4.5MM in total value.
Feliz spent last year with the Rangers and Tigers, who added him after he was designated by Texas. Detroit elected not to tender him a contract last fall, preferring not to commit a projected $5.2MM.
There wasn’t much to like about the 27-year-old’s results last year, as he put up a combined 6.38 ERA over 48 forgettable frames. Metrics valued his actual contributions more in the low-4.00 range, though that is hardly an inspiring output either.
But Pittsburgh has taken a gamble on plenty of high-upside arms in the past, and the still-youthful Feliz looks like another worthwhile project. He’s posted dominant results earlier in his career — though ERA estimators always predicted regression — and still delivers a mid-90s fastball.
Jon Heyman (via Twitter) and Chris Cotillo of SB Nation (Twitter link) added details on the incentives. Cotillo also tweeted that Feliz had changed agents.
What’s with the Pirates taking all of the Tigers failed experiments?
They have a recent history of turning pitchers careers around.
This particular one hasn’t been the same since blowing out his arm 4 years ago and then scrapped his best setup pitch when he returned, not to mention lost 2 full ticks off of his heater afterwards.
Not saying he can’t remake himself into something, but giving him 4m for the numbers he has put up since 2011 looks like a serious overpay IMO.
Who else?
besides lobstein
Guido Knuduson is one I can think of, he let up a homer in all of his 5 appearances last year I think, that with Lobstien and now Feliz that makes them the tigers failed experiment picker uppers
Soria.
Andy Oliver.
To add to the list.
Is 5 not enough for you?
$3.9m is a little more than I expected a guy who has struggled since 2011 to earn.
Pittsburgh has to pay more than the Dodgers, Angels or Yankees would.
The burgh isn’t that fun, but has a lot of culture and fan base.
For some guys that’s not enough.
Feliz is prob someone they had atop their list as someone they could groom for 2017 closer or setup without Melancon in the picture.
For now he’s an upside middle reliever.
Feliz was slated to earn about 5.25 mil (largely inflated by all the saves he racked up his first two seasons) in arbitration had he been tendered a contract so its not a wholly unreasonable number.
Be interested to see if they try the starter experiment with him again.
No way. Pirates aren’t that stupid.
He had a good September for the Tigers
another project player …. .. $3.9m seems like a lot to a project bull pen pitcher.
His numbers with the Tigers MAY have been a bit skewed by three absolutely disastrous outings at the beginning of his stint with them, (2.1 IP; 13 ER; 3 HR). His ERA with the tigers would have been 3.81 with 0 HR allowed had those outings never happened. And even though they did, his FIP with the team overall was 3.95. Not a terrible guy to take a gamble on, even if he is a bit expensive. I always hated that he could never get back to being the dominant closer that one ROY with the Rangers so I wish him luck with the Pirates.
*won
Pirates are beefing up their bullpen to guard against the lack of a strong rotation this year. until Glasnow comes up they probably will see more innings from their pen them they’d like
Badenhop is still around and has been generally solid the last 4-5 years, plus would cost about half as much as Feliz. Why really can’t understand this.
Pirates like hard throwers in their middle relievers. Even with losing a couple mph since he entered the league Feliz still throws 94-95
Definitely didn’t expect this much. The most he’s made in a year so far is 4.1. But with that Gypsy pitching coach it will probably work out. Gotta replace soria and bastardo
It’s a decent signing but the Pirates have a greater need for a left-hander in the bullpen not a right-hander I would have liked to of seen them use the money on a left-handed arm.
Both would be good though
Probably will still add another lefty I’m guessing
The Pirates are going to have another success story on their hands.. Like No Soup pointed out the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The Tigers were forced to abuse him a few times when the starters and bullpen were a shambles. He was overworked and left in when he was clearly out of gas in order to save the rest of the staff. After Labor Day he settled in and was very good. He still has decent stuff.