Felix Hernandez is about to sign the most lucrative contract any pitcher has
ever obtained. The Mariners have agreed to sign the 26-year-old right-hander
to a seven-year, $175MM contract, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Alan
Nero of Octagon represents Hernandez, whose deal should be finalized before
Spring Training.
Hernandez’s previous contract covered the 2013-14 seasons and called for
salaries of $19.5MM in 2013 and $20MM in 2013. The new contract replaces the
previous deal, extending the Mariners’ team control by five years through
his age-33 season.
C.C. Sabathia established the previous record for pitchers when he signed a
seven-year, $161MM contract following the 2009 season. Zack Greinke
established a record for right-handed pitchers earlier this offseason, when
he obtained a $147MM guarantee from the Dodgers. Hernandez’s deal eclipses
Greinke’s deal in terms of total value and average annual value.
If completed Hernandez's seven-year, $175MM deal would become the largest
financial commitment of the offseason, surpassing Greinke's contract with the
Dodgers and Josh Hamilton's deal with the Angels. The deal would also be the
largest commitment in Mariners' history.
Hernandez signed his previous contract, a five-year, $78MM deal, after the
2009 season. Weeks after Hernandez signed, Justin Verlander obtained a
five-year, $80MM contract from the Tigers. It's conceivable that history
could repeat itself and that Hernandez's contract could again establish
parameters for a deal between the Tigers and their ace. Like Hernandez,
Verlander is two years away from free agency. Clayton Kershaw, another Cy
Young winner who's two years from the open market, could also look to
Hernandez's contract as a potential point of reference.
Hernandez has solidified his place as one of the game's elite starters since
debuting as a teenager in 2005. He won the Cy Young Award in 2010 and
finished fourth in the 2012 balloting. Last year Hernandez posted a 3.06 ERA
with 8.7 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 over the course of 232 innings in a season
highlighted by his August perfect game. 'King Felix' has pitched at least 230
innings in each of the last four seasons, a period for which he has an ERA of
2.81 and nearly as many strikeouts as innings pitched.
http://0rz.tw/t8N8Q
7y/175M