Felix Hernandez signs with O’s

[Just Regular]

Mariners follow the Red Sox into Camden after the home opening series, naturally.   We are out there, May 3-5.

Maybe that was our competitive advantage - Felix sees they are going 6-man rotation and still not me....

 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Either that, or he’s a Verlander to Houston like reclamation project. That’d be nice.

Verlander had a 4.07 FIP with Detriot when he was "reclaimed".  Felix was at 6.00 in 2019.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

3 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Either that, or he’s a Verlander to Houston like reclamation project. That’d be nice.

Verlander was still good pitcher when he was traded to Houston and had a 3.82 ERA (117 ERA+) with the Tigers. Felix Hernandez more resembles Mike Wright the past couple years, and it pains me to say that because I've been a big fan of his (when not facing the Orioles).

This is more likely to end up like when Johan Santana signed a minor league deal with the Orioles. But there's always a chance King Felix has a little something left in the tank. 

[LookinUp]

Tough crowd.

[HowAboutThat]

I havent read all the comments, but I love king Felix. Him and Adrian Beltre  are treasures. I watched him suffer in consistent brilliance with the Ms for years. And now he’ s waiting for that last sunset and never even made the postseason. Poor guy. First ballot, I’m thinking’ and damn the W-L record.

[TradeAngelos]

Just looked at last 3 seasons since being a reliever......yikes. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

6 minutes ago, TradeAngelos said:

Just looked at last 3 seasons since being a reliever......yikes. 

Felix lost his fastball and tops out at 90 MPH, when his fastball averaged over 95 MPH when he was younger. Maybe he's figured out how to get by as a finesse pitcher in the last couple years or added some velocity, but it's unlikely. 

It would be cool if he could pitch 120 innings with a 4.00 ERA this year. 

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/felix-hernandez/4772/stats?position=P

[Can_of_corn]

It would be cool if any of them other than Means managed that.

[Tony-OH]

35 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

There are other players I would have rather taken this chance on but why not?    Maybe Holt can find something in him and he can re-invent himself. 

Maybe Cesar Valdez  can teach him his dead fish pitch?

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Maybe Cesar Valdez  can teach him his dead fish pitch?

 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

37 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

He went 18-9 on a 76 win team throwing over 200 innings with a sub 1.20 WHIP,  3.57 RA/9, and a 3.29 K/BB ratio. He was 4th in the AL in rWAR.

Ok. I was selling his 2015 season a little short. 

[HowAboutThat]

King has over $100 million in the bank, he’s never going to pitch for a playoff team, I really wish he had just stopped as a mariner. He’s just cheapening his legacy. Makes me sad. Ichiro and Ken Junior should have done the same, Although Ichiro did have one incredible homerun robbing play at 45. It was worth the watch and will always be.

[BohKnowsBmore]

13 minutes ago, Philip said:

King has over $100 million in the bank, he’s never going to pitch for a playoff team, I really wish he had just stopped as a mariner. He’s just cheapening his legacy. Makes me sad. Ichiro and Ken Junior should have done the same, Although Ichiro did have one incredible homerun robbing play at 45. It was worth the watch and will always be.

Crazy idea, but perhaps some of these guys just love playing baseball. Sometimes when your identity is being a baseball player, it feels crazy to voluntarily walk away. 

[Aristotelian]

4 hours ago, WarehouseChatter said:

We sure this is the real Jon Heyman account? 

Didn't see this one either, but I like the potential "mentoring" impact he could have on our young guys.  

If he can teach just one of our guys his changeup that would be worth $1M easy. 

[JimGinSP]

#34 is waiting for you Felix.

Just like #34 was waiting in 1993 for a former CY Young Award winner and six time all star.   He like you signed with the Orioles in February (the 27th) after not pitching in the majors or minors the year before.  Two years prior, in 1991, he logged a 12.15 ERA in six innings of MLB work.  Certainly it was assumed there was nothing left in the tank.

Fernando Valenzuela, at age 32, came in and made 31 starts for the Orioles in 1993 and while it was no longer “Fernandomania” he did throw 178 innings.  Those 178 innings included five compete games, two of which were shutouts!   It was a different era of course, it is unlikely anyone today would get 31 starts walking 4 batters a game while striking out only 3.9.   Fernando’s WHIP was 1.444, his WAR 0.5, his record 8-10 and ERA 4.94.  The team itself was not bad, Johnny Oates brought them in at 85-77 for third place in the east.  

Oh yeah in 1993 there were starters aged 24 and 25 in the rotation.  Mike Mussina was 24 and Ben McDonald was 25.  This year we will  have Dean Kremer at 24 and Keegan Akin at 25.  

Mike Elias was a 10 year old Alexandria, VA Oriole fan in 1993.  Does he remember that year?   Thanks for bringing in “King Felix” Mike.   February is a great time to dream!