With spring training right around the corner, there will be plenty of veteran players on minor-league deals hoping to earn a spot on the big league roster come Opening Day.
Here are a few of the more-known veterans that are looking to extend their careers at the major-league level.
Bartolo Colon - Texas Rangers
Now 44-years-old, Colon has pitched in the majors for 20 seasons. He won the 2005 American League Cy Young, made three All-Star Teams, and won 240 games. Last season was a struggle though as he posted a 6.48 ERA in 28 starts (8.14 in 13 starts with the Braves, 5.18 in 15 starts with the Twins).
Francisco Rodriguez - Philadelphia Phillies
"K-Rod" recorded an MLB record 62 saves in 2008 and his 437 career saves are the fourth-most all-time. The 36-year-old has produced productive seasons recently as he saves 126 games with a 2.85 ERA from 2014-16. Last year was a disaster for Rodriguez though as he finished with a 7.82 ERA in 25.1 innings for the Tigers before he was released in June.
Neftali Feliz - Arizona Diamondbacks
Feliz won American League Rookie of the Year in 2010 and saved a combined 72 games in 2010-11. The 29-year-old has only garnered 33 more saves since and did not pitch well in 2017. He had a 5.48 ERA in 46.0 innings with the Brewers and Royals.
Melvin Upton Jr. - Cleveland Indians
Upton's 12-year career has seen him hit 164 homers and steal 300 bases. The 33-year-old did not see any time in the majors last season, and injuries held to him 12 Minor League games. In 2016 with the Padres and Blue Jays, he hit .238 with 20 home runs and 27 stolen bases.
Derek Holland - San Francisco Giants
Holland made 158 starts from 2009-16 for the Rangers while also pitching in 14 postseason games (five starts). He won 38 games from 2011-13. In 29 games (26 starts) with the White Sox last season, the 31-year-old wasn’t very successful going 7-14 with a 6.20 ERA.
Hisashi Iwakuma - Seattle Mariners
Iwakuma, who turns 37 on April 12, came to the states from Japan in 2012. In 2013, he had a 2.66 ERA in 33 starts and finished third in American League Cy Young voting. While he pitched fairly well in 2014-16 (40-26 with a 3.76 ERA in 81 starts), he was limited to just six starts in 2017 due to injury. He went 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA.
Jon Niese - Texas Rangers
The 31-year-old Niese was a fixture in the Mets’ rotation from 2010-15 as he went 59-59 with a 3.86 ERA in 169 starts. He didn’t pitch in any type of game all of last year as he struggled to recover from knee surgery. In 2016, he had a 5.50 ERA in 29 games (20 starts) with the Pirates and Mets.
Miguel Montero - Washington Nationals
The 34-year-old Montero was an All-Star with the Diamondbacks in 2011 and 2014. The catcher has begun to show major signs of decline though only hitting .216 each of the last two seasons. He hit an anemic .138 in 87 at bats last year after he was traded from the Cubs to the Blue Jays.
