In 2016, when the Astros were on the verge of being a playoff contender, Michael Feliz was one of the most promising young relievers in the American League. The hard-throwing right-hander set a club record for a rookie with 13.15 strikeouts per nine innings, and the front office didn't rule out his becoming a starter.
A disastrous second half of 2017 changed that perception, though. Feliz, 24, was left off the Astros' postseason roster and was unlikely to earn a roster spot with the club in spring training in 2018.
After being dealt to the Pirates in the five-player trade that sent Gerrit Cole to Houston, Feliz will now compete for a late-inning role in Pittsburgh as he tries to rediscover what made him effective not so long ago.
"Michael Feliz brings a couple years of major-league experience to our bullpen with the potential for additional development and advancement into a late inning relief role," Neal Huntington said in a news release. "Michael's high strikeout approach is supported by a power fastball and a quality slider."
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