The Arizona Diamondbacks made news over the weekend, as the club elected to part ways with a veteran MLB All-Star reliever.
Nick Piecoro, who covers the Diamondbacks for The Arizona Republic, reported on Friday that the team would be releasing Jeurys Familia. The former New York Mets closer joined the team this past January on a minor-league deal. After he was reassigned to minor league camp, Familia opted to take the out in his contract after being informed that he wasn’t going to break camp with the major-league team.
The Diamondbacks are releasing reliever Jeurys Familia, sources say. He had an out in his contract and was told he wasn't making the team.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) March 24, 2023
Familia hasn’t been able to regain his form that saw him as one of the National League’s most dominant closers. He was named an NL All-Star and led MLB with 51 saves in 2016. Over the course of two seasons from 2015 to 2016, Familia saved 94 games for the Mets, pitching to a 1.88 and 2.55 ERA in those years respectively.
Familia was traded to the Oakland A’s during the 2018 MLB trade deadline, but later re-upped with the Mets the following offseason and pitched for another three years in New York. Last season, he joined the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year deal, but was designated for assignment as he struggled with control issues. He later caught on with the Red Sox, where his struggles continued. In total, Familia posted a 6.09 ERA in 44.1 innings.
It’s unclear where Familia goes from here. But he could be a low-risk signing for a team in need of some veteran bullpen help.
[Nick Piecoro on Twitter]
