The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with a reliever michael felizLeones de Yucatán of the Mexican Federation announced yesterday (Twitter link). According to MLB.com transaction tracking, Feliz was first assigned to the organization’s Florida complex. After some time building there, he will likely head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Feliz signed with Yucatán for the season. He threw the ball nine times and scored eight thirds in the Mexican league, allowing only one run with an excellent 13:2 ratio between attack and walk. Along the way, the 29-year-old impressed Yankees scouts to get a different look at the ranks.
No stranger to association ball, Feliz has appeared in parts of 12 minor league campaigns. He was a highly regarded prospect in the Astros ranch system and made his major league debut against Houston in 2015. The right-hander has been on and off the MLB roster for the next few seasons. before being disposed of to the Pirates as part of Gerrit Cole commercial return. He had the best season of his career with Pittsburgh in 2019, hitting 56 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA ball while knocking down 30.6% of opposing players.
The past seasons have not worked. Feliz had a hard time delivering continuous hits and scurrying around the tournament in a journeyman fashion. He’s matched Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Boston (on two separate occasions) and Oakland from 2021. He’s thrown a total of 31 MLB innings over the past three years while still managing to work his way through the waivers.
Feliz’s only big game of the last season was a three-quarter opening game for the Red Sox. Feliz, on the other hand, spent the whole year in Triple-A, splitting the season between the Boston and Minnesota affiliates. He’s achieved a 2.74 ERA in 49 1/3 plays combined, hitting 26.4% of hitters facing a 9.6% walk.
