Jeurys Familia To Sign Major League Deal with Athletics

Familia was released yesterday after failing to make the Diamondbacks Opening Day roster.

Yesterday it was reported that right-hander Jeurys Familia did not make the Opening Day roster and was released ahead of his opt-out date. It didn't take long for him to find a new home, as Robert Murray of Fansided reports that the former Diamondback signed a Major League deal with the Oakland Athletics.

Free-agent reliever Jeurys Familia and the Oakland A’s are in agreement on a major-league contract, according to sources familiar with the deal. Familia was recently released by the Diamondbacks.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) March 25, 2023

Familia, 33, had signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training in the off-season. In eight Cactus League games, Familia allowed one run in 6.2 innings, with two walks and six strikeouts. His fastball velocity was down 2 MPH from 2022, sitting in the 93-95 MPH range and manager Torey Lovullo cited inconsistent pitch shaping as the main reason for the team's reason to not commit a roster spot for him. While he was unable to secure a spot in the D-backs bullpen, he was able to earn a spot in Oakland's with his solid spring.

Familia was once a top prospect, ranked as the No. 90 prospect in the game entering the 2012 season, but developed into a closer and saved 86 games in 2015-2016. In that stretch, he helped the Mets win a National League pennant in 2015 and was named an All-Star in 2016 when he saved 51 games. He struggled after returning to the Mets following the 2018 season, and subsequently pitching to an ERA above 6.00 with both the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox in 2022.