Hernández on signing with Orioles, health and more

The reasons are simple.

Why Félix Hernández signed a minor league deal with the Orioles and why he wants to keep pitching after 15 seasons in the majors.

Short answers from a man with a lengthy baseball resume.

The six-time All-Star and former Cy Young Award winner with the Mariners said today that opportunity led him to the Orioles, who will pay $1 million if he's on the club. And his latest attempt to earn a rotation spot after sitting out the 2020 season due to health concerns is fueled by his desire to make the Hall of Fame.

The numbers might already be there, but Hernández wants to remove any doubt by reaching 200 wins and 3,000 strikeouts. He currently sits at 169 and 2,524.

Here's a sampling from King Félix, who threw his first bullpen session yesterday and sat down this afternoon for a Zoom conference call with the media:

What made Hernández, who turns 35 in April, decide that the Orioles are the right fit?
"The opportunity that I've got here. There are a lot of young guys. I didn't play at all last year, so to come over here and have the opportunity ... they're giving me a chance to come over here and compete and get a spot in the rotation, so I think that's why I made the decision."

How does Hernández feel and how is his stuff reacting after working out with the Braves last spring and ramping up a year later?
"I feel really good. My body feels good and my arm feels really, really good. So I'm just getting here to prepare and go out there and compete and do what I need to do to get a spot in the rotation."

How much leadership can Hernández, who debuted at age 19, exhibit in camp?
"I've been talking to the guys all the time, during the (pitchers' fielding practice), during the drills that we do on the field. They ask a lot of questions. Just to be a mentor and give my perspective of the game and my experience, I'm having fun over here."

How difficult have the last few years been for Hernández, with his struggles in Seattle and sitting out 2020?
"The couple in Seattle is because I wasn't healthy. I was going through a lot of injuries and I wasn't having fun. Last year, I sat out because of all the things going on in the world. But right now I feel really, really good and I'm ready to go."

Did injuries force Hernández to change the way he pitches?
"No, because my velocity declined about four years ago, five years ago. The last few years I wasn't healthy at all. But right now I'm not the hard thrower that I was before. I'm kind of like a smart pitcher, trying to go to the corners and mix in all my breaking balls. It doesn't make any difference, but you've got to be a little bit smarter."

What are Hernández's goals this season?
"Stay healthy. That's the only goal for me."

What caused the positive results in Braves camp last spring and does he need to see hitters before knowing whether they can be repeated?
"I need to see hitters, but I feel really confident right now. The success that I had in spring training last year was because I prepared myself in the offseason and now I'm really, really prepared, too. So I can't wait for the games to start."

What conversations did he have with the Orioles coaches that can make him a better pitcher?
"It's a lot of stuff, new stuff, like the Rapsodo, the angles of your arm and everything. But we don't talk about it yet. I threw my first bullpen yesterday and I feel really good. It's just a start."

Why did he decide to opt out?
"Because I wanted to be healthy and I wanted to stay with my family. Those were my decisions."

What drives Hernández to keep pitching?
"The Hall of Fame. I think I have a shot to go in the Hall of Fame, but I have a few numbers that I have to keep up, like wins and strikeouts, so if I get to those goals, I think I'm going to be in the Hall of Fame. ... I have the numbers because I've got the innings, I've got the strikeouts, but my goal is to get to 3,000 (strikeouts) and 200 wins."

Have health issues and declining velocity impacted the usage of his changeup and the action on it, and does he think he'll have that same pitch?
"I still have it, I've still got it. It's the way you use it. I don't only have a changeup. I have curveball, I have a slider, I have a good sinker. It's how you approach hitters and how do you mix all your pitches. But with the decline of my fastball, the changeup is still there."

Is it the same changeup that he's always had?
"Yeah, but a little slower."