Rich Dubroff

Orioles sign Felix Hernández to minor league contract

The Orioles signed Felix Hernández, who was once a dominant pitcher, to a minor league contract for a reported $1 million on Wednesday.

Hernández has a lifetime record of 169-136 with a 3.42 ERA, all with the Seattle Mariners. He signed with the Atlanta Braves for the 2020 season and started the first Grapefruit League game of the season against the Orioles in North Port, Florida. However, he opted out the season because of Covid-19.

Hernández, who will turn 35 on April 8th, is a six-time All-Star. He won the American League Cy Young Award in 2010.

On August 15, 2012, he pitched a perfect game against Tampa. It was the 23rd and most recent perfect game in baseball history.

Hernández, who led the AL with 19 wins in 2009, led the league in ERA in 2010 and 2014.

His performance declined late in his 15-year career with the Mariners. In 2018, Hernández was 8-14 with a 5.55 ERA, and in 2019, he was 1-8 with a 6.40 ERA.

In his final year with Seattle, Hernández earned $27,858,000. Last season, he was due to make $1 million after signing a minor league contract with Atlanta.

The Orioles also announced the signing of left-hander Wade LeBlanc to a minor league contract, which had been reported on Tuesday night.

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

View Comments

  • Intriguing, been a while since he was King Felix, don’t mind him using the O’s to potentially get traded, older, don’t think he’d get much back as he wouldn’t have a ton of “future” starts, maybe the AngelO’s might need another...go O’s...

  • His decline started in 2015 and it has been steady since that time. I think the team will likely hang on to that million dollars.

  • Let’s go O’s. Elias with 2 veteran pitching signings in less than 24 hours. Might grab another before it’s all said and done. I’d trade the Cobb salary for these moves. Cobb can’t stay healthy. Granted Leblanc is coming off an injury himself but he’s much cheaper. Keep making the farm stronger and stronger. Don’t worry haters, us guys on the rebuild train will let you back on the bandwagon in 2023-24. You may have to sit in the nose bleeds but we’ll let you in the stadium no less.

  • I think a lot of people might criticize this move but I love it just for the fact that a proven, highly successful pitcher, in fact for a few years maybe the best pitcher in baseball, will be in camp and hopefully on the team to help mentor the stable of young arms. Nothing against our pitching coaches but I gotta believe the young pitchers will be thrilled to have him on the team. And if by chance he recaptures some of his old magic then even better yet.

  • Is Mel Brooks writing this script?
    .
    While we're at it .... Is Bartolo available? (seriously though, I'd kick those tires)

    • Mel Brooks is writing the script and it’s not just for baseball! I’d love to see Bartolo In an O’s cap.

  • Great signing! If he’s good or (possibly, not. Likely) really good they trade him at the deadline. He could also mentor some of the youngsters. He has been banged up, but there is some potential here.

  • Bob Feller and Walter Johnson will be signed next. Who cares if they are dead. They were great once upon a time.

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Rich Dubroff

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