The Diamondbacks are set to release veteran reliever Jeurys Familia, reports Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Familia is one of a few dozen veterans with an opt-out in his contract tomorrow but had been informed by the club that he would not make the Opening Day roster. They’ll cut him loose a day early and give him some extra time to latch on with a new organization.
Familia, 33, had a strong spring showing with Arizona, pitching six innings of one-run ball with just three hits and one walk against four strikeouts. Those sharp results apparently weren’t enough to sway the Snakes into putting him on the Opening Day roster, so he’ll instead return to the free-agent market in search of an opportunity with another club in need of some bullpen help.
Solid as Familia was this spring, he’s coming off the worst season of his career. In 44 1/3 innings between the Phillies and Red Sox, Familia was tagged for an ugly 6.09 ERA. His 20.1% strikeout rate was the second-lowest mark he’s posted in a full season, as was his 10.7% swinging-strike rate. Familia’s 10.8% walk rate was well north of the league average, and his 95.6 mph average fastball velocity was a personal-low for the former Mets closer.
Familia did have a nice season as recently as 2021 (3.94 ERA, 27.5% strikeout rate, 10.2% walk rate in 59 1/3 innings), and his broader track record at the MLB level is impressive overall. The 2016 All-Star boasts a 3.51 ERA, 125 saves, 70 holds and a 24.4% strikeout rate in 543 big league frames.
A return to the Mets might be in order …
Hell no!
Mets are trash, this makes complete sense.
@Mr big dig: They won 101 games last year. Trash? Troll harder.
They’re like a Mustang all bark, no bite.
They won 101 games with Buck Showalter, Manager of the Year for derping away the NL East in the final week of the season and then getting whupped in the Wild Card round.
The echo inside your dome must be deafening.
It’s scary how accurate my prediction of verlander and Scherzer getting injured was a few weeks ago. 1 down 1 to go. I also predicted the Mets would collapse 8 weeks before the season ended last year, and I was correct. Bargain basement team held together by school glue.
Mets gettin’ the band back together!
OR
Jeurys can just stay home with his FAMILIA !!
@Jacksson13- Maybe, but he could get another offer so the Jeurys still out.
good one
Very good, indeed
Dad???
Perry should be calling his agent and get him out to Anaheim. He would be a good addition to a shaky pen that doesn’t have a set or proven closer. I’d trust him over a few others that we’ve had in the pen the last few seasons.
From a Snakey pen to a Shakey one? Makes sense
Sad. From a lights out closer to a reject.
I don’t know what speeds he has been throwing at this spring, but Hefner has worked with him before, so a chance to plug in Díaz’s hole with closer by committee may not be out of the question.
Sad? The guy made over 50M in his career and made it to the World Series.
@377194: It’s actually quite common for players to age and lose their abilities. Playing at the MLB level is not easy.
That’s true, but that also applies to just about every other professional sport.
Not “just about.”
I don’t think he was ever a “Lights Out” closer. He was good, but not THAT good
He was lights out with 43 saves in 2015 and 51 in 2016. Big part of the Mets’ success in those years.
And then he blew game one of the World Series and pretty much every other game in that series and that was beginning of the end.
Yes, even though he had 51 saves the next season.
Whether he gets a gig with another team really depends on how many lopsided losses the team expects to have which would cause the need to have a bullpen arm to just finish out the game. I’d suggest that Familia should only pitch when losing by 5 or more runs.
A few days ago it was reported he agreed to terms with Leones del Escogido, along with Gary Sanchez. Pretty sure this is just the classic “MLB org releases player to pursue international opportunity” transaction, unless something changed.
Escogido is a winter ball team. Their season is over. Familia and Sanchez were agreeing to play there for the 2023-24 Dominican Winter League season — next (MLB) offseason. Sanchez is still a MLB free agent, and now Familia will be as well.
Whoops, sure is! Thanks for the clarification.
To Oakland please!
Dbacks are “all in” on youth again this year, and that includes the bullpen. They tried retread veterans in the bullpen last year with disastrous results, so they are going in the opposite direction this year. The youth movement is full blown now on offense and in the bullpen, only the starting rotation begins the season with veterans at the #3 and #4 spots, but they too will be replace by youth by the All-Star break.
Dbacks also reassigned left handed reliever Kyle Nelson to AAA Reno, that leaves only 7 healthy relievers on the 40 man roster for an 8 member bullpen.
I’m speculating that rather than add a non-roster reliever to the bullpen (like McAllister or Stumpo), the Dbacks will add a starter who is being converted to long relief—either Bryce Jarvis or Drey Jameson (assuming Ryne Nelson wins the 5th starter spot).
Lovullo and Hazen have now suggested the same thing, i.e. that Jameson could be converted to long relief.
Reds should be all over this. They have worst bullpen in MLB. If he pans out,swap him for anything at the trade deadline.