NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Former Yankees and Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano died overnight in his sleep, ESPN MLB analyst Eduardo Perez reported Monday. Feliciano was 45.
"Just found out that former #Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano passed away last night in his sleep," Perez tweeted. "He was 45years young. He was a really good released but a better person off the field. He will be missed #Leones #Cangrejeros. He was jet skiing yesterday with his family. #sad."
Feliciano, nicknamed “Perpetual Pedro” due to his heavy usage, technically played for four organizations but only ever appeared in an MLB game as a Met. Originally a 31st-round pick of the Dodgers in 1995, he spent seven seasons in the Dodgers organization before signing with the Reds, who traded him to the Mets in August 2002 as part of a four-player package for Shawn Estes.
The Mets waived him and then re-claimed him off waivers from Detroit that winter, and Feliciano debuted in 2003 with the Mets. In parts of nine seasons in Queens, he appeared in 484 games but pitched just 383 2/3 innings as one of the quintessential LOOGYs in MLB.
Feliciano earned that “Perpetual Pedro” nickname because, over five full seasons from 2006-10, he made 408 appearances (an MLB record for a five-year span) but pitched just 299 2/3 innings – leading MLB in appearances in 2008 (86), 2009 (88), and 2010 (92).
For his MLB career, which ended in 2013 with the Mets, Feliciano had a 3.33 ERA in those 382 2/3 innings. His 484 appearances with the Mets are second-most of any pitcher, behind John Franco’s 695. Jeurys Familia, who just became a free agent, is third with 469.
Feliciano is technically a former Yankee as he signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the club in January 2011 but never appeared in an MLB game, thanks to a torn rotator cuff and shoulder capsule that cost him most of those two years. He only ended up pitching 10 1/3 innings over 11 minor-league outings across four levels.
The lefty returned to Queens on a minor-league deal in 2013, and finished his MLB career with 11 1/3 innings over 25 appearances for the Mets that season. He spent 2014 in Triple-A with the Cardinals, and then signed with the Cubs in 2015 but did not play that season, retiring instead.
Feliciano also played one year in Japan, getting sold by the Mets to Fukuoka in 2005 before returning to Queens in 2006 to start that five-year run of heavy use.