Michael Conforto heads to free agency, and remembering Pedro Feliciano

Former Mets left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano passes away at age 45. Plus, Michael Conforto reportedly declines the qualifying offer.

Rich MacLeod

Nov 09, 2021

What’s Up with the Mets? 💭

Michael Conforto will reportedly decline the qualifying offer, making him a free agent and giving the Mets draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere (ESPN)
Longtime Mets left-handed reliever Pedro Feliciano passed away suddenly at age 45 early on Monday
Team President Sandy Alderson will address the media for the first time this offseason today from the GM Meetings (NY Post)
The Mets are expected to talk with Scott Boras about free agent 3B/OF Kris Bryant at the GM Meetings (NY Post)
Bryn Alderson, Ian Levin, Ben Zauzmer and John Madsen will join Sandy Alderson in representing the Mets at the GM Meetings this week (MMO)
The Mets had two scouts in attendance for Justin Verlander’s public workout on Monday (NY Post)
Former Mets manager Luis Rojas is “likely” to join the Yankees as their third base coach (NY Post)

Remembering ‘Perpetual’ Pedro, the last of his kind 📝

It was with great sadness that the news broke on Monday that former Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano had passed away suddenly at the age of 45.

Though he has been out of baseball since 2013, when he retired due to a rare heart condition, Feliciano is one of the more remembered relief pitchers in recent Mets history. Feliciano never threw a pitch for a major league team outside of the Mets in the regular season, as he became a bullpen staple for the club from 2002-2010 and then returning for his final curtain call in New York in 2013 after several injury plagued seasons.

In an era where LOOGY’s were allowed to roam the Earth — prior to the three-batter minimum rule enforced by Commissioner Rob Manfred — you were hard-pressed to find a better or more consistent one than the man they referred to as “Perpetual Pedro.” And it’s not too difficult to decipher why he ever went by that name: From 2006-2010, Feliciano appeared in a mind-bending 408 games (an average of 82 games per season!) And while he was often only in a game to pitch to one or two lefties in high-leverage situations, it was still an incredible feat and workload for the crafty left-hander.

Feliciano led the league in appearances in 2008, 2009 and 2010, his last three seasons with the team before signing a two-year deal with the Yankees. Pedro would never appear for the Yankees over the course of his two-year contract due to injuries, which actually led to GM Brian Cashman publicly admonishing the Mets for “abusing” Feliciano with how often they used him out of the pen. Dan Warthen, New York’s pitching coach at the time, fired back by saying, “[The Yankees] didn't know that when they signed him? ... He volunteered for the baseball every day. He was asked whether he was able to pitch. He said 'yes' every day — every day — and wanted to pitch more than we even pitched him.”

In 2010, Feliciano became just the fifth pitcher in Major League history to pitch in at least 90 games in a season. He also set the MLB record for appearances over a three-year span (266 from 2008-2010) and a four-year span (344 from 2007-2010).

In the modern era of baseball, there was no pitcher on this Earth like Pedro Feliciano and in today’s game, especially with the rules the way they are now, we will never see another one like him. He was truly the last of his kind, an exceptional Met and from all accounts by fans, media members and teammates, a tremendous human being. He will be missed.

Rest easy, Pedro.

Hot Stove 🔥

15-20 teams were in attendance for RHP Justin Verlander’s workout on Monday afternoon, where he reportedly reached 96 MPH (NY Post)
OF Nick Castellanos declined his qualifying offer, making him a free agent (Cincinnati Inquirer)
The Reds are willing to listen on trade offers for RHP Luis Castillo (MLB Network)
SS Corey Seager declined his qualifying offer, making him a free agent (LA Times)
LHP Andrew Heaney signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Dodgers (The Athletic)
2B/SS Marcus Semien declined his qualifying offer, making him a free agent (Sportsnet)
Astros 3B Alex Bregman underwent right wrist surgery on Monday, and is expected to resume baseball activities in 6-10 weeks
The Mariners are expected to be “big spenders” this offseason after coming up two games shy of the postseason in 2021 (Heyman)
RHP John Gant cleared waivers and elected free agency (MLB.com)

Prospect Watch ⚾

Yesterday’s stats in the Arizona Fall & Dominican Winter Leagues

Brett Baty (3B, No. 2 prospect): 0-for-2, BB, R