Seattle Mariners Deal With Hernandez Within Reach

Seattle Mariners Deal With Hernandez Within Reach

An upcoming deal with the Seattle Mariners may give Felix Hernandez the distinction of becoming the first pitcher to earn around $25 million for every season in the history of baseball.

The seven-year deal will take the place of the last two years of the current contract of Hernandez. The contract is another sign of the gradual increase in the salaries of star pitchers.

Prior to the 2011 season, an agreement between Cliff Lee and the Philadelphia Phillies gave the star around $24 million every year. Zack Greinke of the Los Angeles Dodgers also signed a contract that averaged $24.5 million each year.

The contract of Hernandez with the Seattle Mariners surpassed the first contract of CC Sabathia with the Yankees that was worth $161 million. It was later revised by the Yankees that allowed Sabathia to earn $122 million in five years until 2016. Hernandez is a recipient of the Cy Young Award for 2010 following a run average of 2.27.

It is necessary for the Seattle Mariners to work on their offense after it ranked last in the league when it came to runs in the last four seasons. The team will be able to keep its franchise player if it signs Hernandez, who will have a number of good prospects that will enter the rotation with him.

Last September, Jack Zduriencik, the general manager of the Mariners, emphasized the importance of signing Hernandez in the future plans of the team.

Zduriencik indicated that Hernandez likes the Seattle Mariners and that the star pitcher is the top-of-the-rotation pitcher of the team.

Posted by Andre Monohan on Saturday February 09 2013, 3:24 AM EST. Ref: NY Times. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0