One player working his way back to affiliated baseball in the Major Leagues is relief pitcher Neftali Feliz, a former All-Star and 2010 American League Rookie of the Year winner who is signing a minor-league contract with the Seattle Mariners.
The 36-year-old Dominican last appeared in the MLB in 2021 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers. Feliz only appeared in five games that year, going 0-1, posting a 9.00 ERA, striking out three batters in four innings. Before making his comeback in 2021, he pitched as a member of the Rangers, Tigers, Pirates, Brewers, and Royals organizations from 2009-2017.
Since his departure from the MLB after 2021, Feliz has pitched in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol since 2022. In 2024, Feliz split time with the Caliente de Durango and the Leones de Yucatán. While pitching in Mexico, he posted a 3-1 record in 32 games, collecting 17 saves in 35.1 innings, striking out 36 batters while walking ten batters, recording a 3.07 ERA. Currently, Feliz is pitching with LIDOM’s Estrellas Orientales, where he has gone 1-0, recording a 1.86 ERA in 20 games, locking down eight saves, and striking out 13 batters in 19.1 innings of work.
The Seattle Mariners finished second in their division in 2024, missing out of first place over the Houston Astros by three and a half games. It will be intriguing to see if the Mariners will allow Feliz to pitch throughout Spring Training in hopes that the veteran will land on the MLB roster this April.
