Pedro Feliciano coming home.....hopefully

[metirish]

"@Mets: The #Mets have signed LHP Pedro Feliciano to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league Spring Training."

"@Mets: After missing the last 2 years, Feliciano had a 1.23 ERA in 7 relief games in Puerto Rican Winter League this season."

[TransMonk]

Nice...I wish him the best.

[metirish]

Pedro never did play for the MFYs right?

[TransMonk]

Not an inning. Yankee in paycheck only.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

That is the fucking greatest.

[Edgy MD]

Such fucking great news.

[Frayed Knot]

Several times Pedro has gone away but has yet to play for another MLB team during those absences.
Perpetual Pedro indeed.


I just hope his winter league team didn't over-use him. Maybe that's something we should check with Cashman about.

[batmagadanleadoff]

Great! Someone should go and tell the team seamstress to embroioder another pennant. Is Skip Lockwood also on the market?

[Guest Swan Swan H]

The Prodigal Loogy.

[Farmer Ted]

25, 39, or 55?

[Guest Swan Swan H]

Farmer Ted wrote: 25, 39, or 55?

Hrm.... If he comes to camp they probably won't 'insult' him with a usual NRI number. 55 is the only one of his previous numbers that's not issued, but if you average those three numbers it comes to 39.6667, which rounds up to 40, which is open.

[Guest themetfairy]

Welcome home Pedro!

[Frayed Knot]

Farmer Ted wrote: 25, 39, or 55?

I think he's 55 at this point, or maybe even a bit older.

[smg58]

I have no idea what he has in the tank, but if he makes the club I'd welcome him back with open arms.

[seawolf17]

Gotta find a way to get him onto the active roster at some point. Great story.

[smg58]

He had all of 16 innings between the minors and the Puerto Rican winter league. Obviously it's a short sample and he did give up two home runs in that stretch, but overall his numbers looked all right. There doesn't appear to be an obstacle to him coming to ST ready to pitch. I bet he'll be at least as good as Byrdak has been the past two years.

[Ceetar]

smg58 wrote: He had all of 16 innings between the minors and the Puerto Rican winter league. Obviously it's a short sample and he did give up two home runs in that stretch, but overall his numbers looked all right. There doesn't appear to be an obstacle to him coming to ST ready to pitch. I bet he'll be at least as good as Byrdak has been the past two years.

Byrdak's been pretty good.

Not saying Pedro can't be better, but I heard someone say he was only clocking 86ish in the winter leagues.

[ashie62]

Good news indeed!

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Bobblehead Day? Bobblehead Day.

Swan Swan H wrote: Farmer Ted wrote: 25, 39, or 55? Hrm.... If he comes to camp they probably won't 'insult' him with a usual NRI number. 55 is the only one of his previous numbers that's not issued, but if you average those three numbers it comes to 39.6667, which rounds up to 40, which is open.

25? And, hell if it IS taken, just toss some of that found MFY money the kid's way, and take back what's yers, PeteyDos.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Guest

[MFS62]

I had sensed a disturbance in The Force the past two years.
The feeling is now gone.
Things have returned to as they should be.

Later

[Vic Sage]

Pedro's triple happiness... he gets a fat check from the Yanks, doesn't give them an inning, then comes home.
cool beans.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

CORRECTION: "Quadruple happiness"-- the compensation pick that his signing brought us got budding stud Michael Fulmer.

God Bless P-Dos.

[Edgy MD]

#11 � RHP Michael Fulmer
What I Thought: I liked Fulmer�s size, build and raw stuff (an average or better fastball, and the ability to spin a breaking ball) in a brief viewing in the Gulf Coast League in 2011.
Reality: The Mets challenged Fulmer with an opening day assignment to Savannah and he responded very well, improving over the course of the year against older competition. Pitching Coach Frank Viola raved about Fulmer�s aptitude, work ethic and maturity from day one. His fastball at 93-95 mph, ate up SAL hitters. He and Viola prioritized working on his slider over the curveball. As the year went on, scouts� grades on the pitch inched upward. He started throwing his changeup more, although it tended towards too firm. He made some mechanical adjustments, tucking his front hip, to give him better tempo and timing in his delivery.
Stock: UP.

Plus, from Amazin' Avenue:

4. RHP Michael Fulmer � Drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft.

The 19-year old from Oklahoma was nothing short of spectacular in his first full pro season, posting the fourth-lowest ERA as well as the third-lowest opponent average among qualified starters in the SAL. Oh, and did I mention he was among the five youngest players in the circuit for most of the season? Utilizing a special fastball that works in the low-to-mid 90s � and even touched 97-98 MPH at times � Fulmer overpowered hitters who were on average two years his senior. What's more, the further development of a sharp, mid-80s slider gave him a second potential plus-pitch and an excellent put-away option. The dynamic mix of stuff, youth, and success makes the 6'3", 200 lbs righty one of the biggest stories in the system in 2012 and one of it's best prospects going forward.

Sometimes, bad-ass Texan righthanders come from Oklahoma.

[batmagadanleadoff]

How the Mets ripped off the Yankees and got Pedro Feliciano back, too

By Howard Megdal
10:13 am Jan. 22, 2013

The rivalry between the Mets and the Yankees isn't really much of a rivalry. Whether measured by on-field victories, playoff appearances or profit margin, the Yankees have absolutely trounced the Mets over the past few years, by even a greater margin than the historically great gap between the two teams. But chalk one up for the Mets, even if it's a modest one: Pedro Feliciano signed a minor league deal with them Monday, and earned an invitation to spring training. Feliciano was a useful left-handed reliever for the Mets, once Rick Peterson convinced him to start throwing at a three-quarter angle. But the Mets, who had used Feliciano as a lefty complement to Chad Bradford in their high-water season of 2006, came to rely on him more and more. He pitched 78 games in 2007, then an M.L.B.-high and team record 86 games in 2008. Records were meant to be broken, though; Feliciano pitched in 88 games in 2009, and 92 games in 2010. All three were league highs. And for good measure, he pitched in winter ball during all three offseasons, along with the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Following the 2010 season, Feliciano was a free agent. The Mets in no financial position to bring him back, and it didn't make much sense for them to do so. Feliciano was, clearly, a pitcher at or near his sell-by date. He was also the best lefty specialist in baseball, and for the Yankees, worth the risk of a two-year, $8 million contract. The Yankees got a lefty specialist they needed; the Mets got a draft pick as compensation for losing Feliciano. They signed Tim Byrdak, at a fraction of the cost, to take Feliciano's role. (Then they overused Byrdak, too.) That the exchange would be one-sided became clear almost immediately. Feliciano came up hurt in 2011 spring training; immediately, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman complained about the extent to which the Mets had overused Feliciano, as if his pitching record had been some kind of secret. The Mets, to their credit, I guess, also acknowledged overusing Feliciano, and claimed that was the reason they hadn't re-signed him. Feliciano said he'd be fine, and vowed revenge. He never got it; Feliciano hasn't pitched for the past two years in the major leagues, thanks to a damaged shoulder requiring surgery. He attempted to return late last year for the Yankees, but never approached minimally acceptable velocity in minor league rehab stints. Amazingly, despite missing two of the past five seasons, Feliciano ranks 15th among relievers in appearances over that time. So the Mets, with gaping holes in their bullpen, will bring Feliciano in for little money and see if he has anything left. If he does, the Mets can employ a once-elite reliever on the cheap, the only kind of player they can afford these days, and Feliciano can prove himself healthy to earn another big pay day next winter. As for that draft pick the Mets received, they used it on Michael Fulmer, a 6'3", right-handed starting pitcher, who just completed a tremendous season for Single-A Savannah. Fulmer is considered one of the team's brightest prospects. If Feliciano can provide more value to the Mets in 2013, while Fulmer makes the jump to Double-A this season ahead of possibly helping the Mets in 2014, their mugging of the Yankees will be complete. This season, the Yankees stand a good chance of returning to the playoffs, the Mets stand almost none. Mets fans should savor victories of any size, even when they're no bigger than Pedro Feliciano.

http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/sports/2013/01/7283802/how-mets-ripped-yankees-and-got-pedro-feliciano-back-too

[Edgy MD]

Howard Megdal, ladies and gents. Joylessly promoting joy.

[G-Fafif]

"If Colonel North ripped off the Ayatollah and took $30 million and gave it to the contras, then God bless Colonel North!"

The Pedro Fleeceiano'ing of the MFYs sort of feels like Pat Buchanan's rationalization for Iran-Contra. Except legal.

[G-Fafif]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Great! Someone should go and tell the team seamstress to embroioder another pennant.

I'm picturing a lonely lady getting up there in years hoping the arthritis that's kicked in since her last assignment more than a dozen years ago doesn't betray her when Fred Wilpon's office finally phones.

[Guest Kong76]

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Great! Someone should go and tell the team seamstress to embroioder another pennant.

Seamstresses generally don't embroider, but good one anyway.

[MFS62]

Pedro's two year contract with the MFYs: $8 million.
The fact that he never pitched a single inning for the MFY's money: Priceless.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Feliciano sent to AAA, considering opting out.