M's announce Felix Hernandez' $175 million contract
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - Felix Hernandez and Seattle reached agreement Tuesday on a contract that is expected to make the Mariners ace the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.
"I think it's a great thing for the Seattle Mariners," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "It's a great thing for Felix Hernandez, and looking forward to this guy being here for a very long time, obviously."
Hernandez's deal is expected to be for $175 million over seven years. Terms of the contract were not released by the team. Hernandez and Zduriencik will hold a news conference in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon where Hernandez is expected to sign the contract.
Earlier Tuesday, Zduriencik said the sides were having significant talks to try to finalize a new contract for the three-time All-Star and 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner. Zduriencik said then that a deal of that magnitude in years and dollars, "takes time to work things out."
It didn't take too long. By the afternoon, Hernandez's deal was done and Seattle had its ace locked up through the 2019 season.
The new contract will encompass the final two years of his current deal that is scheduled to pay Hernandez $40.5 million in 2013 and 2014. He'll receive $134.5 million over the additional five years.
Hernandez's total dollars would top CC Sabathia's original $161 million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees and his $25 million average would surpass Zack Greinke's $24.5 million under his new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and tie him for the second-highest in baseball with Josh Hamilton and Ryan Howard behind Alex Rodriguez ($27.5 million). Hernandez's new money would average $26.9 million over five years.
With Hernandez off the market, Detroit's Justin Verlander and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw become the most attractive pitchers eligible for free agency after the 2014 season. Tampa Bay's David Price is eligible after the 2015 season.
Hernandez, who will turn 27 on April 8, is 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA in eight seasons with the Mariners. He won a career-high 19 games in 2009 when he finished second in the Cy Young voting then won the award a year later when he went just 13-12 but had a 2.27 ERA and 232 strikeouts.
Hernandez appeared to be making another Cy Young push last year before going 0-4 in his last six starts, which left him at 13-9 with 223 strikeouts.
His career record would be even better if he didn't play with one of baseball's worst offenses. Seattle had the lowest batting average in the major leagues in each of the last three seasons. Hernandez has taken 10 losses during that span when he's given up two earned runs or less.
For his career, Hernandez has allowed two earned runs or less in 141 of 238 starts, but the team is only 99-42 in those games due to the offensive problems.
"I think it's a great thing for the Seattle Mariners," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "It's a great thing for Felix Hernandez, and looking forward to this guy being here for a very long time, obviously."
Hernandez's deal is expected to be for $175 million over seven years. Terms of the contract were not released by the team. Hernandez and Zduriencik will hold a news conference in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon where Hernandez is expected to sign the contract.
Earlier Tuesday, Zduriencik said the sides were having significant talks to try to finalize a new contract for the three-time All-Star and 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner. Zduriencik said then that a deal of that magnitude in years and dollars, "takes time to work things out."
It didn't take too long. By the afternoon, Hernandez's deal was done and Seattle had its ace locked up through the 2019 season.
The new contract will encompass the final two years of his current deal that is scheduled to pay Hernandez $40.5 million in 2013 and 2014. He'll receive $134.5 million over the additional five years.
Hernandez's total dollars would top CC Sabathia's original $161 million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees and his $25 million average would surpass Zack Greinke's $24.5 million under his new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and tie him for the second-highest in baseball with Josh Hamilton and Ryan Howard behind Alex Rodriguez ($27.5 million). Hernandez's new money would average $26.9 million over five years.
With Hernandez off the market, Detroit's Justin Verlander and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw become the most attractive pitchers eligible for free agency after the 2014 season. Tampa Bay's David Price is eligible after the 2015 season.
Hernandez, who will turn 27 on April 8, is 98-76 with a 3.22 ERA in eight seasons with the Mariners. He won a career-high 19 games in 2009 when he finished second in the Cy Young voting then won the award a year later when he went just 13-12 but had a 2.27 ERA and 232 strikeouts.
Hernandez appeared to be making another Cy Young push last year before going 0-4 in his last six starts, which left him at 13-9 with 223 strikeouts.
His career record would be even better if he didn't play with one of baseball's worst offenses. Seattle had the lowest batting average in the major leagues in each of the last three seasons. Hernandez has taken 10 losses during that span when he's given up two earned runs or less.
For his career, Hernandez has allowed two earned runs or less in 141 of 238 starts, but the team is only 99-42 in those games due to the offensive problems.
I see another last place finish and under million an half fans showing up at that overpriced venue..enjoy your 2013 Seattle Mariners people..I hope it's worth it.
So how exactly would the Mariners be able to keep Felix Hernandez on the team without paying the man the market rate for a No. 1 All-Star pitcher who is just entering his prime? If they didn't pay him the money, you can be sure the Yankees, Angels, Rangers, Red Sox, and many others would have easily entered into a bidding war for his services.
I also do not understand the anger of some here over his salary. This was agreed to by two sides and no government is paying for his salary. In fact, a good portion of that money will come back into the local economy (through his purchases in WA) and into the federal coffers (through the income tax). If you do not wish to see high baseball salaries, don't go to baseball games and don't buy their products.
@Necrobio Thank you!
Big waste of money. They will keep losing and we will still have a crappy team.
@sb in seattle if they signed an aging player at the end of his career, yes, big waste of money. But as others have said. He could have easily gone to any other franchise for a lot more money. The Braves Yankees, Red Sox White sox. any other team, has a better chance to win and win it all .It would suck to see Felix Hernandez in another uniform, even my favorite, and home state team, the Atlanta Braves.
Now I guess were gonna have to change his name from "King Felix" to "King Greedy". Come on Felix did you really need that much money? You could have left some of that money on the table to help get new players to build a better team.Â
This is just Way to much money for any sports player to make.Â
Do the math on this................... That's $25 million a year every day of the year whether he's playing or not, or $2.08 million a month, or $520,833.00 a week, or $74,404. a day !!!!!Â
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 He played in 33 games last year so if he plays the same 33 games this year that he played last year  this new contract will pay him $757,575.00 A GAME!!
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Felix is a great pitcher buy no one is worth $757,575.00 a game! No one!
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Wow, I can think of plenty of other things to do with that money. Baseball must be really important...
So they will have another expensive $175 million 7 year losing streak?
This guy is legit. However, we will only win 70 games this year if that.... Our batting average as a team will be at best .225 with our 3 spot hitting maybe 20 hrs...... Pay him his money but be smart about it. We need bats and runs.... Just like Ron Fairly said, you get some hits, score some runs, and you will win some ball games. Â It doesn't help when felix strikes out 12 every night and only get's 1 run for support which I see happening every night he steps on the mound..... Glad I spent $600 on my sounders season tix instead...... Go Sounders!
Good Job Felix.
Thanks for healing the sick, discovering a new cure for a fatal disease, and eliminating poverty for millions or at least thousands, Â Thanks for your great discovery worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. Â Oh wait ...that's right... you only play baseball....
@napmasterg  Bitter much? It sounds like you don't like baseball. Maybe you don't go to any games. If that is the case, why are you so upset about what he makes? You aren't forking any money over to him.
 @path_tech Exactly my point.  If you don't like baseball. If you don't like the salary of a professional athlete. Don't support the team .Â
Geez what a waste of our resources. I wonder how many homeless that would feed and clothe. How many people could have had medical procedures and lived because we just waste our money on fake entertainment. The country looks more like Rome every year.
 @Blindman The Seattle Mariners do a lot of good in the community as you know. But their priority as a major league franchise is to put together a 40 man roster and 25 man roster . Then figure out among those men who to put on the field. And who to put on the mound.  Your tax dollars are not paying for a single dime in his contract. The city does not own the Mariners.Â
Good to see our tax $ hard at work.
 @orc What does your tax dollar have to do with his salary? Here's a hint, absolutely nothing. YOU don't own the Seattle Mariners.Â
Symply Obscene. No wonder we can't afford to take the kids to a game.
 @FED__UP Yep. Meanwhile, those who have jobs that actually matter (teachers, professors, etc.) make ~50k a year. The priorties in the friggin country are joke!!Â
 @HallandOates  @FED__UP  The Seattle Mariners aren't the city of Seattle city council . They are a major league franchise responsible for one thing, entertaining fans, well two. entertaining fans and fielding a team with a chance for that team to win.Â
Typical loser team strategy...put all your eggs in one basket...In this case the basket is hanging from one arm. Wouldn't all that cash have gone a long way toward making the team batting average something other than.......the worst in the league? It's already been shown they can't win (game or season) with just pitching and no offense....yet they continue to pursue this strategy !?
 @bagsofdirt Yawn. You won't catch me going to any of the MLB games. I'd rather pull weeds or watch the grass grow than watch that God awful sport. Boring!Â
 @HallandOates  @bagsofdirt Then you aren't a fan of the game. I came to Bainbridge island due to a family move. I hated it here when we first arrived. I love it here now, for the most part. One reason I love it, I'm right in the heart of Winslow,  I can get ona ferry and WALK to two major sports venues. And in a few years, I'll be able to take in my first hockey game. And as early as next year, my first NBA game.Â
@bagsofdirt Baseball is boring as hell without alcohol.
 @slappywag  @bagsofdirt Actually I am sober for the entire game. You might miss something. Like the last pitch of a perfect game . Or the last pitch of a combined no hitter. Or a dramatic walk off home run.  One could argue that all sports are boring. But that's simply not the case with any sport, including baseball.Â
Hey Jose Romero (out of state reporter), don't forget The King's perfect game!!! If the Mariners lost Felix then every one here would be beeotching about that too. Way to go Jack Z. See you in The King's Court!
Time to hit up "Uncle Felix" for a loan...
I love Felix, but 175 million? Maybe the Mariners should spend that money on improving the farm teams as well as finding some hitters.Â
 @Iconoclast The Mariners are rated in the top 5 of all farm systems in baseball......thats what Jack Z has worked on tirelessly
 @Iconoclast Their farm system is one of the deepest in the league. As far as hitters go, this was a bad year for free agent position players and the one big name guy they tried to trade for vetoed the trade.. ...They will be improved from last year, unfortunately so will the Angles.
 @JK15  @Iconoclast Morales, to Morse, to Jason Bay, to Raul Ibanez -- not too shabby!
he deserves it
 @stargunner uh, no he doesn't. Especially for throwing a damn baseball. Priorities people!
 @donner  @stargunner What priorities would you wish the Mariners would take on, world peace? Building roads and bridges?Â
Go M's! I think we have made some considerable improvements, but I think the rest of the AL is too power packed for us to get to the playoffs this year - but I enjoy a surprise, I would love to see this team get a .500 season together and compete with the rest of the West.
 @acmariner99  That's the spirit! Some positive feedback in a sea of negative vibes!Â
One guy who doesn't even swing the bat isn't going to magically make the Mariners suck any less.
looking like a potential improvement this season. It is time for certain players to step up and give our pitchers and defense a hand. jf
Great for the M's and great for Felix. Now lets have some offense to support him.
Sweet deal, Great person ... someone with a heart that wants to be and play in Seattle. THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD BE ALL ABOT, jf
That's real sweet, unfortunately I seriously doubt the arm will last 7 years.Â
I give King about 3-4 very productive years.
 @Throbbinhood And then the clause kicks in and the rest of his contract is re worked or eliminated.Â
 @Throbbinhood He is 26.Â
His arm is 36.
 @Throbbinhood That's what people said about Randy Johnson when he left.....After that he pitched 12 more years, won 4 Cy Youngs, and had more than 2500 strike outs.
I don't recall anybody expressing worries about RJ when he left...
 @Throbbinhood Then you don't recall the Mariner's refusing to give him a contract extension because of concerns over his "bad back".