31
2012
Should Mets Consider Bringing Back Pedro Feliciano?
An article by 
Pedro Feliciano spent his entire career in a Mets uniform until the day he left via Free Agency following the 2010 season. At the time our well documented financial situation got in the way, and the Yankees came in and offered the lefty specialist a nice contract to join our crosstown rivals.
Well, two years and $8 million dollars later, Pedro is once again on the verge of Free Agency. He never made his Yankees debut during his two year deal, and will leave the team without ever throwing a single pitch in the Bronx.
Early in the 2011 season, Feliciano was placed on the disabled list due to soreness in his left shoulder. In late April he made a trip to see the dreaded orthopedist Dr. James Andrews who recommended a six-week strengthening program for the pitcher.
The cause of Feliciano’s trip to the disabled list was a torn capsule and rotator cuff in his left arm, requiring arthroscopic surgery to repair. After the diagnosis was confirmed the Yankees front office claimed the reason behind Feliciano’s injury was that the Mets had overused him.
Feliciano, now 36 years old, owns a career 3.31 ERA. He was never known for his velocity, routinely sitting in the mid-high 80′s. Lefty relievers can pitch well into their early 40′s, so if he could regain his health he could be a potential steal this off-season. He had 96 holds over his last five seasons with the Mets, and has a career .214 opposing batting average versus left handed hitters.
Coming off surgery and missing the last two years I’m sure Pedro will be looking to prove himself, both health and talent wise. That will most likely require no more than a league minimum or minor league commitment from a Major League Club. With Byrdak set to hit Free Agency and Edgin the only real lefty on the roster that has any experience, Pedro might be a nice low cost, high reward investment.
Pedro Feliciano was one of the best, if not the best reliever we had from 2006-2010. We have seen plenty of players return from injury to regain their form, or come close to it. I think it’s worth taking a shot on Feliciano who we know can get the job done when he’s right. If he inks a minor league deal, it doesn’t cost us anything to find out if he still has the goods.
I’m in, are you?
About the Author: Dan Valis
I am a staff writer for Mets Merized Online. I am a Mets team analyst with a focus on the minor league system, as well as the major league club. I am a lifelong New Yorker who was born and raised to be a Mets fan. The ups and downs of being a Mets fan is what makes following this team so much fun, but at times so frustrating. You can follow me on Twitter @BgAppleMetsTalk.
17 Comments + Add Comment
Recent Comments
- Metfan Lou: on Mets Have Opportunity To Soar To New Heights: Look guys we are 10 games out...
- gorgeguy: on Mets Have Opportunity To Soar To New Heights: No .. just throw a prospect into...
- Jimmy Pernil: on When Will We See Wilmer Flores?: AAA is meaningless. There's nothing to be...
- Mojo: on Mets Have Opportunity To Soar To New Heights: What doe's it cost us financially and...
- Metstheory22: on Mets Have Opportunity To Soar To New Heights: He pitched well for us once we...
MMO Mets Chat
Need Tickets To The Mets Game?
Check Out These Great MLB Links!
Photographs From Gordon Donovan
5391 Fans Follow Us On Twitter!
1269 Fans Like Us On Facebook!
2341 Fans Read Our Feed!
1702 Fans Subscribe via Daily Email!
Depends on how many lefties they’re planning on having in the bullpen. I’m okay with going into next season with Edgin and Carson and seeing what they can do. If they want to have another one, then sure, I’d be willing to give him a chance to make the team. If not, I guess I’d still try to bring him in in case either Edgin or Carson go down, but he might prefer to look for a better opportunity elsewhere.
Carson? He might be the worst pitcher in the minors over the last three years and is a complete waste of a 40MR spot. He has nothing in that arm, garbage in, garbage out. Carson is awful.
He’s got good stuff and he’s generally done well against lefties in the minors. The problem is that he’s also had to face righties; as a LOOGY, he could find some success. Or he could not. All I’m saying is that I’m okay with finding out.
Pass
I’d take him back on a minor league deal in a heartbeat. We took a shot with Byrdak who wasn’t even half the pitcher Feliciano is and is two years older. I bet Pedro would love to come back and I bet he comes back from that surgery and out-pitches anybody the Mets have right now in the bullpen as he so often did before.
Lets bring back Joe Orsulak instead.
the question is why would he want to go back to the mets?
Are you guys insane? Are you serious with this Feliciano stuff? Yes, sign him. Right after we sign Dave Dravecky.
Why is Carson being overlook? he has a great arm and potential. I mean, I can see your point too but the Mets have to start going with their young and talented arms and see how they perform in 2013. In 2014, us Mets fans are expecting to have a competing ball club or Sandy will have to go rain on someone else pastures.
As much as I was a Feliciano fan and felt Sandy was wrong not to re-sign him for two years, at this point he would just be another reclamation project and though a minor league contract would not be a risk I don’t know if one can come back from two years off and a major injury.
Nice thought, however, and I hope another team does give him a chance.
Chris Young = reclamation project
Taylor Tankersly = same
Chris Capuano = same
Izzy = same
damn near all of Sandy’s pitching picks are reclamation projects…
I wonder is K-Rod available…
Keep that woman beater far, FAR away from my team.
No, no and HELL NO.
Why in the world would Feliciano come back to the Mets? So Warthen can screw up his arm again? Hell, he hasn’t thrown ONE pitch since he left the Mets. No thank you.
To Echo other comments here, “Hell and Hell No!”
Didn’t he just cost Stanks all that money, blamed on over use by Mets, and to even consider him would be a ridiculous notion.
I say sign him to minor league, not on 40 man roster deal, then see if he can pitch; otherwise just lose him telephone/twitter/facebook, etc acct/numbers.
I can cut and paste this response to every suggestion that player x is available and should we sign him.
If _____________ has more than 2 suitors….he is not coming to the NY mets….
at this point, players will take LESS money to go to BETTER TEAMS
Or obscenely more money to play for the Mets. Like Bay, Rauch, Francisco.
Why would anyone want to come to the Mets?
It surely won’t be to listen to all you so called experts spouting your absurd ideas. The players hold all the cards these days.fellas. There are just a few who chose to stay loyal to their teams when there was a chance to become a free agent.
Not one player is irreplaceable anymore because there will always be a team willing to overpay. Look at the St.Louis Cardinals. They had the best hitter, an all around team man and citizen and they let him walk when his price became too high for them. The Angels have committed themselves to an albatross of a contract but the fact is that they have the money to do this.
Whether you think David Wright is worth it or not, he will get a big contract either now or next year as a Free Agent. You can bet one thing for sure and that is David will not give the Mets any huge discount and why should he? If I were him, I’d go somewhere else, get a new start in a city with less media and fan savagery.