Former Texas Rangers Pitcher Neftali Feliz Signs with D-Backs

In 2010, reliever Neftali Feliz won Rookie of the Year with the Texas Rangers and quickly became one of the best relievers in baseball. The 29-year-old has fallen from grace since then, but signed an MLB deal on Sunday.

Texas Rangers fans remember when Neftali Feliz broke into the MLB and took the league by storm. He went 4-3 with a 2.73 ERA in 70 games with 40 saves in 2010. He was an All-Star and won Rookie of the Year with the Rangers that season.

In 2017, Feliz posted a 5.48 ERA in 49 appearances between the Brewers and Royals. According to Fanragsports.com, Feliz will be joining the Arizona Diamondbacks on a minor league deal for the 2018 season.

The 29-year-old reliever put together three solid seasons with the Rangers before everything collapsed. In 2012, the Rangers decided to give Feliz a chance to join the starting rotation. He pitched in just eight games before getting hurt and missing the rest of the season.

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Feliz pitched in just six games the following season and was never the same. There has been glimpses of hope along the way, but Feliz will likely never be the same pitcher again. Who knows what would’ve happened if Feliz had stayed in the bullpen.

There were reportedly six teams interested in signing Feliz this off-season. The Rangers were not one of those teams. General manager Jon Daniels says he wants to add pitching depth, but a reunion with Feliz was not in the cards.

It’s a low-risk move by the D-Backs and could potentially pay off huge for the organization. The D-Backs are coming off a 93 win season, and Feliz could even have a chance at the closer role, if everything goes right.

In 2010, reliever Neftali Feliz won Rookie of the Year with the Texas Rangers and quickly became one of the best relievers in baseball. The 29-year-old has fallen from grace since then, but signed an MLB deal on Sunday.

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