Reliever Pedro Feliciano is staying put in New York, but he will be sporting a different uniform.
The life-long Met is leaving Queens to bring his talents to the Yankees.
Feliciano is a 34-year-old lefty who inked an $8 million, two-year contract with an option for a third, to come over to the Bronx. Fans get the reassurance that GM Brian Cashman is doing his job, as this is a huge boost to counterpart Boone Logan in the bullpen.
Other than having a rubber arm (meaning it never tires), Feliciano satisfies a big hole in the Yankee bullpen against lefty hitters, an area the Red Sox loaded up on this offseason.
Over his eight years in the majors, Feliciano has a career ERA of 3.31. He set the Mets franchise record and led the NL for most relief appearances in a season, with 86 games in 2008, 88 games in 2009 and 92 games in 2010.
Last season, Feliciano pitched for 62.2 innings, allowing just one home run and striking out 56 of the 280 batters he faced. He kept lefties hitting just .211, which will make him a difference-maker in the seventh and eighth innings.
Nicknamed “Everyday Pedro,” as in 2010 he pitched back-to-back days 43 times without rest.
Feliciano was described by Mets Today writer Joe Janish as, “a valuable asset to a championship club in need of one final bullpen piece.”
I’ll take that; the Yankees will happily take that; and hopefully 2011 will be that year for Feliciano.
As to how Feliciano will handle playing in the Bronx?
Same lights, different borough...my bet is he will be just fine.
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