Felix Hernandez Signs Minor League Deal with Orioles

Felix Hernandez with Seattle Mariners in 2016
Felix Hernandez with Seattle Mariners in 2016. Photo by Albert Pena/Csm/Shutterstock (5887638al)

Former AL Cy Young Award winner and Mariners legend Felix Hernandez has signed a minor-league deal with the Baltimore Orioles for the 2021 season as he continues to look to get his career back on track.

“King Felix”, once one of the most dominant starters in the league in the late 2000s and early 2010s, was set to get a chance to play for the Atlanta Braves in the 2020 season and looked sharp in Spring Training before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the start of the season and ultimately led the Venezuela native to opt out of the season.

The 34-year-old veteran had a bittersweet departure from Seattle as he became gradually less and less effective. After making six All-Star appearances between 2019 and 2015 and winning the AL Cy Young Award in 2010, he began to see a dip in effectiveness in 2015 and saw his ERA soar above 4 every year since 2017.

He was a shell of his former self in 2019, putting up a dreadful 6.40 ERA along with a 1-8 record in 15 starts.

If there’s any place where Hernandez could get a fair shot to get his career back on track, it is in Baltimore. The team has plenty of rotation openings heading into the 2021 season, and the former star is nearly certain to get a chance to pitch in the Big Leagues again.