Screw Pedro Feliciano And The Left Arm He Signed His 2-Year Deal With

(Used courtesy of Mike Ashmore)

As we move ever closer to roster expansion tomorrow, the biggest name on the list of potential call-ups is Pedro Feliciano.  The left-handed reliever hasn't pitched an inning for the Yankees since signing a 2-year, $8 million contract before last season, instead spending his time rehabbing a serious arm injury.  He's been on the rehab trail for some time now, allowing 2 ER with 8 K/3 BB in 6.1 IP over 7 appearances at various levels of the MiL system.  He's currently scheduled to make his next appearance today for SS Staten Island and then likely return to the Yankees' active roster.  It's a move that's never not going to happen, as this is exactly what roster expansions are all about.  But if I had my say in the matter, I'd tell Pedro to pound sand.

The problem is that Feliciano really offers no help to the Yankees and their bullpen right now.  He represents exactly what their biggest problem is- a guy who is limited to pitching to only one type of hitter- and brings nothing to the table in terms of the flexibility that the 'pen truly needs.  Boone Logan and Clay Rapada, even with their recent struggles, are still effective at getting left-handed hitters out, so why waste a roster spot on a 3rd guy who can do the same thing and nothing more?  What's the benefit to having Feliciano out in the bullpen?  Guy's already a sunk cost, the latest in the long, sad line of multi-year reliever deals that have backfired on the Yankees.  Just cut the loss and move on.

And it's nothing personal.  I know it's not Feliciano's fault that the Mets ran him into the ground while he was there, and I know it's not his fault that the Yankees were stupid enough to sign him.  But adding him to the active roster for September represents nothing more than the Yankees trying to at least get a small speck of value from that contract, and that's not a good reason to make a baseball decision in a time when the baseball team needs REAL help with roster expansion.

Feliciano would be nothing more than a warm body there to soak up meaningless innings in blowout games.  There's no reason that he should immediately leap over Rapada or Logan in the hierarchy right now, so what's the point in even talking about him like he's going to make a difference?  I don't need to stare at a wasted $8 million and another platoon player when there are guys like Mark Montgomery and Chase Whitley who could actually help the team and would need the same cleared roster spot as Feliciano to be added to the 40-man.

Again, it's nothing personal, but fuck Pedro Feliciano.