Veteran pitcher Felix Hernandez, who was an American League Cy Young Award winner in 2010, recently signed a minor-league contract with the Baltimore Orioles.
Reportedly, the deal is worth $1 million, although Hernandez has to make the roster to receive the money.
The 34-year-old veteran had previously signed a minor-league deal with the Atlanta Braves ahead of the 2020 MLB season but decided to opt-out due to coronavirus pandemic concerns.
Hernandez is expected to have an easy path to the Orioles’ rotation if he’s healthy. Baltimore doesn’t have much in the pitching department past All-Star lefty John Means, so they need any help they can get at this moment.
Felix Hernandez spent his entire MLB career with the Seattle Mariners, where he played between 2005 and 2019. During his time with the organization, Hernandez had six All-Star selections and led the league in ERA twice.
But Hernandez’s production has been in decline in recent years, which is why the Mariners decided to let him go after his contract expired. He had a 6.40 ERA in his last season in Seattle, and the last time his ERA was below 4.00 ERA was all the way back in 2016.
Overall, Hernandez has a 169–136 career record with a 3.42 ERA and 2,524 strikeouts.
