BALTIMORE (Neth.) – The Baltimore Orioles reached a deal with veteran pitcher Felix Hernandez on a minor league-contract.
Hernandez won an American League Cy Young Award, two ERA titles, and made six All-Star teams over 15 seasons with the Seattle Mariners before becoming a free agent for the last off-season.
The 34-year-old signed a minor league contract with Atlanta and looked good in spring practice, but ended up opting for the pandemic-shortened 60-game season.
In his most recent Major League play, Hernandez was 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA in 2019. He hasn’t finished with a below 4.00 ERA since 2016 and his last All-Star appearance was in 2015. He has won 169 games and has a 3.42 RBI.
Hernandez could earn a spot on the rotation with the rebuilding Orioles, who have 2019 Lefty All-Star John Means as their starter, but not much else.
They traded Alex Cobb to the Angels on Tuesday, making Keegan Akin, Dean Kremer, Jorge Lopez, Wade LeBlanc, Thomas Eshelman and Bruce Zimmermann the only returning players to start at least one game in 2020.
Baltimore also announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to minor league deals with infielders Seth Mejias-Brean and Malquin Canelo, right-handers Dusten Knight, Konner Wade and Spenser Watkins, and left-handed LeBlanc.