The Seattle Mariners have been making significant adjustments to their spring training roster, gradually cutting it down as they prepare for the upcoming season. Over the weekend, a series of moves reduced the roster to 43 players, signaling that the team is getting closer to finalizing its lineup.
Among those released was a pitcher whose name may be familiar to longtime baseball fans, though many Mariners supporters might not have realized he was even in camp this spring—Neftalí Feliz.
Neftalí Feliz’s Short Stint with the Mariners
Feliz, a 36-year-old right-handed pitcher, joined Seattle as a non-roster invitee after signing a minor league deal. The veteran reliever made four appearances during spring training, where he allowed six hits, gave up three runs, and struck out just one batter over four innings of work. Unfortunately, his performance did not impress enough to earn him a spot on the team, leading to his release on Friday.
A Look Back at Neftalí Feliz’s Career
For those who have followed baseball for years, seeing Feliz’s name back in the news might feel like a trip down memory lane. His peak years in Major League Baseball came over a decade ago, between 2007 and 2011, when he established himself as one of the game’s most promising young closers.
Feliz’s MLB journey began on July 31, 2007, when he was involved in a blockbuster trade that sent star first baseman Mark Teixeira from the Texas Rangers to the Atlanta Braves. The trade involved seven players in total, and Feliz was among the key pieces that Texas received in return. What followed was a stretch in which the deal became infamous in Atlanta and a celebrated success in Arlington.
Feliz quickly emerged as a dominant force in the Rangers’ bullpen. In 2010, he was named an All-Star and won the American League Rookie of the Year award after posting an impressive 2.73 ERA over 70 appearances. He also saved 40 games that season, proving to be one of the most reliable closers in the league. His fastball, which averaged 97.6 mph, was among the hardest thrown by any reliever at the time. While such velocity is more common in today’s game, it was a rare and valuable asset back then.
That trade didn’t just benefit the Rangers because of Feliz—other players acquired in the deal, including shortstop Elvis Andrus, pitcher Matt Harrison, and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, all played significant roles in Texas’ back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011.
A Defining, but Painful, World Series Moment
Despite his many successes, Feliz is most widely remembered for one particular moment in the 2011 World Series—one that was not in his favor.
In Game 6 of the series, the Rangers were on the brink of winning their first-ever championship. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a 1-2 count against St. Louis Cardinals hitter David Freese, Feliz was just one strike away from closing out the series and delivering a title to Texas. However, on the next pitch, Freese smashed a game-tying triple off the right-field wall, keeping the Cardinals alive.
That game went into extra innings, and while the Rangers briefly took the lead again, Freese struck once more, hitting a walk-off home run in the 11th inning to force a Game 7. The momentum had shifted completely, and the Cardinals went on to win the next game, capturing the championship and leaving the Rangers heartbroken.
Post-Surgery Decline and Late Career Attempts
Feliz’s career took a significant downturn after he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012. The injury and recovery process impacted his effectiveness on the mound, and he was never quite able to recapture his earlier dominance.
Between 2014 and 2017, he bounced around several teams, posting a 4.40 ERA during that stretch. His career then took an unexpected turn, as he spent three full years out of the major leagues. In 2021, he briefly resurfaced, making five appearances, but it was a far cry from his former All-Star form.
Before joining the Mariners for spring training this year, Feliz had been pitching in the Mexican League for the past three seasons. However, his time there did little to revive his MLB career, and his fastball velocity—once one of his greatest strengths—had declined to an average of just 92.5 mph during his spring training stint with Seattle.
What’s Next for Feliz?
Now that the Mariners have released him, it’s fair to wonder whether Feliz’s time in Major League Baseball has officially come to an end. Given his declining velocity and struggles to find a consistent role in recent years, this could mark the conclusion of a career that, at one point, seemed destined for sustained greatness.
If this is indeed the end of his professional baseball journey, Feliz leaves behind a legacy that includes an All-Star selection, a Rookie of the Year award, and a crucial role in two World Series runs with the Texas Rangers. Despite the ups and downs, he carved out a respectable career over nearly two decades in professional baseball.
The team at SoDo Mojo wishes him the best in whatever comes next and acknowledges all that he has accomplished throughout his time in the sport.
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