Pedro Feliciano is ready to abuse the Mets.
The ailing Yankees reliever did not appreciate comments made by Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen this weekend, and is looking forward to exacting some revenge. In response to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman saying the Mets “abused” Feliciano, Warthen said the Mets did not re-sign Feliciano this winter because of how much they had used him.
“That’s not right when he said, ‘That’s why we let him go,’ ” said Feliciano, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a sore left shoulder. “I read that and it hurts because I like Dan.”
Feliciano then pointed to May 20, when the Mets come to Yankee Stadium.
“I will show him in the Subway Series,” Feliciano said. “When I strike out Ike Davis and I jump on the mound [pointing his finger as if Warthen were in front of him], I’ll say, ‘That’s for you.’ ”
This drama began Saturday when Cashman called the Mets using Feliciano a major-league record 266 times in the last three seasons an “abusive” pattern. Warthen fired back, saying the Mets chose not to bring Feliciano back this year because of how much mileage there was on his arm.
“That was part of the reason we decided not to re-sign him,” Warthen said, “because we knew we had used him 270-something times in the last three years.”
Feliciano said he never felt abused by the Mets, but he did question why they left him in some games to face right-handed batters. His bigger issue, however, was with Warthen.
“I will come back from this injury,” said Feliciano, who is scheduled to play catch later this week. “I’ll be telling him that I feel there’s a lot of Feliciano to go.
“He said I would blow up this year. They didn’t want to sign me because I’ll blow up. It hurts.”
Feliciano experienced arm trouble during spring training and has not pitched in a game since March 9. The Yankees shut him down just before they came north, and he is not expected to be back in action until later this month.
The Yankees signed the 34-year-old to a two-year, $8 million deal with an option for 2013 this winter after eight years with the Mets. He said the reason he jumped from Queens to The Bronx was the length of the deal the Yankees offered.
“I feel hurt a little bit about [Warthen’s comments] because they didn’t really let me go because I pitched a lot of games,” Feliciano said. “I didn’t sign with them because they offered me one year. Me and my agent wanted a multi-year [contract], two or more years, and they just gave me one. That’s why I’m not a Met right now.”
Cashman said the Yankees were concerned about how much Feliciano had pitched, but there were limited options on the left-handed pitching market.
Feliciano said he had no issue with how former Mets manager Jerry Manuel and Warthen used him other than being left in too long at times.
“I want to pitch,” Feliciano said. “I want to be on the mound always.”