Monday, January 20, 2020

Braves Take a Flier on King Felix

Felix Hernandez, who pitched his entire 15-year career with the Seattle Mariners, will be wearing a new uniform in 2020. King Felix signed a 1-year, $1 million minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves which includes an invitation to spring training.

Hernandez, who turns 34 in April, has been a far cry from being one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB. Between 2009-2015, Hernandez was named to six AL All-Star Teams, won an AL Cy Young Award, led the AL in ERA twice and struck out 200 or more batters six straight seasons. But Hernandez, who made his big league debut in 2005 at the age of 19, has been in steady decline since turning 30. In 15 starts in 2019, Hernandez went 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA.

Signing with the Braves is a low risk proposition. They have a deep rotation and a deep bullpen. Having Hernandez in the mix could be icing on the cake whether as a spot starter or a long reliever. Neither side has anything to lose.

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