Atlanta Braves add royalty to rotation mix in King Felix Hernandez

King Felix is heading to a new kingdom, as the one time Seattle Mariners ace has signed a one year deal with the Atlanta Braves.

The past few years have been a struggle for Felix Hernandez. The one time ace of the Seattle Mariners, Hernandez struggled as his innings caught up to him, the zip on his fastball gone as he gradually became a shell of himself. His final appearance in Seattle was truly a farewell, as King Felix was set to abdicate his crown.

Hernandez, however, has managed to find a new kingdom. He has signed a one year deal with the Atlanta Braves worth $1 million.

As a non-roster invite, Hernandez makes sense for Atlanta. He is a decorated veteran that could help the young Braves rotation through the battle of the regular season, someone who could serve as a valuable mentor, joining Cole Hamels in that sort of a role. In theory, Hernandez could almost be a player/coach in the fifth spot in the rotation.

Nonetheless, it is fair to wonder what, if anything, he has left in the tank. During an injury plagued 2019 season, he made just 15 starts, spanning 71.1 innings. Hernandez hardly showed that he belongs on a major league roster in that time, posting a 1-8 record with a 6.40 ERA and a 1.535 WHiP.

Even with that awful performance, there were some positives. Hernandez did increase his ground ball rate while lowering his walk rate from 2018. It could also be said that he was unlucky last year, as a whopping 21% of fly balls hit against him left the yard.

If Hernandez is going to resurrect his career, he will need to reinvent himself. He is not the flamethrower he once was, but the changeup could still be a weapon. Perhaps a change of scenery, where he is not surrounded by reminders of the pitcher he had been, will allow Hernandez to make the adjustments needed to find success once more.

If not, the Atlanta Braves truly have not lost anything. Felix Hernandez is a solid gamble at virtually no cost.