Kuzul

It’s really quite simple. Catch a perfect game: get a fancy watch. 

Susan Slusser, the San Francisco Chronicle‘s A’s beat writer, gives a baseball-mad world a beautiful moment that will restore your faith in humanity—or faith that ace pitchers can still have some class. 

Yes, that is Oakland A’s backstop John Jaso sporting some mighty expensive hardware on his wrist. It’s all thanks to a man who pitches for the enemy. 

Jaso may be playing for a division rival this season, but Felix Hernandez apparently never forgot the best game he ever pitched and the man who caught it. 

Back in August, Jaso and King Felix teamed up for a brilliant battery that would give the Mariners their first perfect game in franchise history. 

Fast-forward to this season and Hernandez is opening up the season in Oakland and is tasked with pitching against his old catcher. 

As CBS Sports reports, Hernandez giveth and then Hernandez taketh away, because the Mariners ace threw seven-plus innings, allowing just three hits and punching out eight in a Seattle 2-0 win. 

Not that Jaso was content to merely get a fancy Rolex on the day. He also managed to break up a no-hitter in the fourth inning:

Jaso, traded by the Mariners to their division rival during the offseason, popped out on the second pitch he saw in the first before his fourth-inning double. Then in the sixth, he struck out swinging to end a 10-pitch at-bat and 22-pitch inning for Hernandez.

About 90 minutes before first pitch, Hernandez had a Rolex watch delivered from a clubhouse employee to Jaso, quite the thank-you gift for his part in the ace right-hander’s perfecto.

“He broke up the no-hitter,” Hernandez said. “I was going to say, `Dude, what time is it?”‘

Sure, Jaso got a hit and a Rolex, but King Felix gets the last laugh with the win and a strikeout in the sixth. 

Felix Hernandez shows that he is pure class both on and off the bump. Not that Jaso will ever forget that magical game, but if he ever does, he can just check the time. 

Hit me up on Twitter for more MLB madness. 

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This spring, the Seattle Mariners have been, dare I say, entertaining. 

As an organization, there are quite a few positive signs to point toward for the future, but what about this season?

With a mix of youth and experience, the team seems keen on taking a positive step forward toward competing in the American League West.  

Do they have a shot to put up a fight against the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s? 

Or will they be fighting to stay out of the division cellar with the Houston Astros?

Although it’s always hard to place much value on what happens in spring training, for fun I wanted to see what are some of the key takeaways we’ve seen from Mariners camp as we approach Opening Day. 

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With rumors of a potential injury looming, the Seattle Mariners and Felix Hernandez have agreed to the $175 million, seven-year contract extension that has been reported over the last several days. The deal will make Hernandez the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history.  

Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times was the first to break the news:

Bob Nightengale of USA Today originally reported the historic deal on Feb. 7, stating that the two sides had reached an agreement for seven years, $175 million. 

However, Buster Olney of ESPN reported on Feb. 11 that an elbow issue with Hernandez was preventing the deal from being finalized. 

As the Seattle Mariners have been in discussions with Felix Hernandez about a record-setting extension, concern has developed over the condition of his pitching elbow, a source says.

After Olney’s report was released, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik told Greg Johns of MLB.com that Hernandez has been throwing normally and would be with the team for spring training.

I’m not going to comment on any of that other stuff. It’s ridiculous. I’ve watched him at [Safeco Field] for the last month or so throwing, and he’s his normal self.

Hernandez has been the ace of the Mariners staff and one of the best pitchers in baseball since 2009. He has thrown no less than 232 innings, struck out at least 217 hitters and posted an ERA no higher than 3.47 in each season during that span, including two seasons with an ERA under 2.50. 

“King Felix” won the 2010 American League Cy Young Award after throwing 249.2 innings with 232 strikeouts and a 2.27 ERA. He has also finished in the top three of Cy Young voting in 2009 and 2012.

One thing to note about Hernandez’s performance—as great as it has been—is the decline in his velocity over the years. According to Fangraphs, the average speed on his fastball has gone from 94.1 mph in 2010 to 92.1 last season. He also threw it less frequently, relying more on his slider and changeup to get hitters out. 

Regardless, this signing marks a huge move for the Mariners franchise as it attempts to return to relevancy. By locking up one of MLB‘s elite starting pitchers, Seattle has greatly improved its chances at contending in the American League West in the years to come. 

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The starting rotation for the Seattle Mariners is far from set as the team gets ready to start spring training for the 2013 season.

Would it be a stretch to suggest that only two spots are assured at this point?

Felix Hernandez. Ace. Top of the rotation. In process of signing huge long-term deal. Check.

Hisashi Iwakuma. Signed two-year deal. Probable second or third, depending on other performances. Check.

Joe Saunders. One year-deal. Represents veteran experience, though there are no guarantees. Check?

Beyond that? Take your pick. Blake Beavan. Erasmo Ramirez. Hector Noesi. Jeremy Bonderman. Taijuan Walker. James Paxton. Danny Hultzen. Brandon Maurer.

Now you can add Jon Garland to the mix, as tweeted by Geoff Baker.

Jon Garland agrees to minor league deal with Mariners. Invite to ST. Will take physical in Peoria next week.

— Geoff Baker (@gbakermariners) February 9, 2013

For those of you scoring at home, that is nine pitchers for two spots, and there could theoretically be more. Who will be the odd men out?

This really could be a sort of open tryout for those spots. Seattle currently has a penciled-in depth chart, but that could be completely negotiable.

There are positives and negatives to every one of these pitchers.

Blake Beavan is currently listed in the rotation, but he will arguably need to pitch well in order to keep that spot. His consistently high ERA and his propensity to give up the long ball have some wondering if he has reached his ceiling or if he is poised for a breakout year.

Erasmo Ramirez looked good in September, but he will also be auditioning for his spot in the rotation. Obviously the Mariners like what they see in Ramirez, but the youngster has a very limited body of work. He could theoretically lose his job in Arizona.

Hector Noesi seems destined for the minors unless he puts together an impressive spring. The add-on to the Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda trade was dreadful in 2012, which means that he will need a rebound performance in order to stay on the roster.

Jeremy Bonderman and Jon Garland bring veteran savvy to a staff that could probably use some experience. Unfortunately, Garland has not pitched since 2011 and Bonderman has not thrown since 2010. Therefore, “veteran savvy” might be a nice way of suggesting that both are barely hanging on. Both will either have to pitch very well in Arizona or win jobs by default if no one else steps up.

At the risk of lumping the rest into one group, there is a common theme with the highly-touted youngsters. Now is the time where we see which players are ready, close to ready or need another year or two of seasoning. Will there be a breakout performance? You have to suspect that Seattle would love to see a Taijuan Walker step up, dazzle and win a spot in the rotation.

Still, there will be caution about rushing the young arms. This is why guys like Bonderman and Garland are in camp. The veterans may represent the future for this team, but they might serve as placeholders until the young arms are ready. At the risk of being insensitive, the veterans are a bit more expendable at this point.

A more conservative rotation probably looks like this:

Hernandez, Iwakuma, Saunders, Beavan/Ramirez, Garland

However, what happens if the young pitchers look really good? The rotation might then look like this:

Hernandez, Iwakuma, Saunders, Walker, Hultzen

Is the future upon us? Or will this be a conservative rotation that is filled in with uninspiring but semi-reliable experience?

Let the tryouts begin.

Follow @tpheifer

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There will be several missing superstars from MLB in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. Players such as the Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout and the Washington Nationals Bryce Harper have decided to forgo the third installment of the international event.

There will also be several international players missing from the fold. Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners and Yu Darvish of the Texas Rangers headline two prominent baseball players who will not be participating in the WBC for their native countries.

Here is a list of 10 well-known major leaguers who will be sitting out the WBC.

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The Seattle Mariners haven’t necessarily had the best offseason so far. Sure, the M’s were able to reel in players like Kendrys Morales and Mike Morse through trade, but both deals came with questions.

The big names the Mariners were chasing this offseason were Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton, both of whom decided the Pacific Northwest was not for them.

So with time ticking down until pitchers and catchers report, is there any realistic move out there that Seattle can do to appease a restless fan base?

As a matter of fact there is.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports recently reported that Mariners ownership has again picked up the pace in trying to ink Felix Hernandez to an extension to keep the King in Seattle. In the article, Rosenthal points out that no deal is imminent, but that the Mariners are at least weighing the idea of offering a four-year, $100 million extension.

If that’s all it’s going to take to keep Felix in Seattle, then General Manager Jack Zduriencik should be at Felix’s front door right now holding a pen. Back in August, Dave Cameron of U.S.S Mariner discussed what a possible Felix Hernandez extension would look like, which he believed would look very similar to what the Mariners are rumored to be offering now. However, there are others out there including Bleacher Report’s own Ian Casselberry, who believe Felix could be the first $200 million man.

Locking up Felix Hernandez now would rescue the Mariners from the disappointment of the 2013 offseason and would put a rest to the Felix trade rumors that never seem to die. If Seattle can find a way to get an extension done, it would at least put the Mariners on a high note going into the 2013 season and would make Mariners fans can stop worrying about the current 2014 deadline.

By extending Felix, the Seattle Mariners ownership shows pending free agents like Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury and Robinson Cano that they are serious about winning. In fact, getting a deal done with the King would be a good starting point for when Seattle has to resign either Morales or Morse at the end of the season as both players currently have only one year left on their deals.

With the hoard of pitching talent Seattle has in Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker, Seattle will need the King to lead the rotation as the young arms continue to develop. Felix’s presence will do nothing but benefit the young trio, and could potentially help Seattle have one of the best rotations in baseball for years to come.

When it comes down to it, this is a move that the Mariners need to get done. Not just for the benefit of the team moving forward, but to reward a fan base that has been desperate for a winner for years. 

Sure, Felix may not be the big bat all M’s fans were looking for this offseason. But the King is, and will be the face of the franchise, and making him a “Mariner for life” is a deal everyone can agree on.

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Josh Hamilton is off the market and I’m OK with that, but not everyone feels the same way.

In fact, based on the response from most of the people I’ve spoken to and read, the Mariners‘ whiffing on Hamilton is a bit of a problem.

Upon hearing the news, a good friend and long-time M’s fan sighed, “It’s going to be a long winter and summer at the rate things are going.”

Another friend lamented, “Are the M’s ever going to turn things around, or are we all kidding ourselves?”

I tried to reason with him for a few minutes, but he wasn’t having it, as the situation seems well beyond repair at this point.  Funny thing is, he wasn’t even all that keen on signing Hamilton in the first place.  

For some though, the lost opportunity seemed to cut deeper and offered the perfect chance to exact retribution for the team’s most recent missteps.  Steve Kelley at The Seattle Times believed the M’s should have done whatever it took to sign him, but he couldn’t resist throwing a few jabs at the organization for letting Hamilton get away:

Surely we know by now that we can’t expect the Mariners, who still seem to be putting most of their efforts into squashing the proposed SoDo arena project, to also have the time and concentration to go after expensive free agents.

Look, you can’t have everything. You should be happy about the new center-field scoreboard that has a TV screen the size of a Mount Kilimanjaro glacier. You were also expecting the Mariners to sign Josh Hamilton to play in the outfield, underneath that scoreboard?

Fortunately, not everyone was as bitter, as Dave Cameron at USS Mariner took a different approach by combating emotion with facts while urging everyone to stay calm in the wake of Hamilton’s signing:

I’m not suggesting the Mariners should just sit back and do nothing. I am suggesting, however, that those who continue to yell from the rooftops that offseason spending determines future on-field outcomes don’t know what they’re talking about.

Don’t be one of the mouth-breathers that overreacts to every free-agent acquisition by the Angels or Rangers. Let them yell and scream about how the world is ending. They weren’t right about this last year, and they’re not right about it now.

Cameron, as usual, offers us a rational point of view, but it’s hard to ignore, suppress or dismiss the emotions most of us are feeling right now.  

Of all the opinions I’ve read thus far, John McGrath’s at The Tacoma New Tribune seems the most even-handed by simply looking at the M’s decision strictly from a financial standpoint. 

It’s convenient to criticize the Mariners for operating on the cheap, and to mock Zduriencik as a ventriloquist’s puppet whose mouth moves when ownership pulls the strings. But declining to invest $125 million in an injury-prone player unlikely to contribute beyond three seasons doesn’t match any definition of cheap.

Cheap? I’d call it a prudent business decision for an organization challenged to keep ace pitcher Felix Hernandez on board after his contract expires at the end of the 2014 season. Don’t underestimate the thickness of that plot.

When you think of it in those terms, $125 million over five years for a man with more than a few issues, suddenly, it’s a little easier to move back off the ledge.  

At the same time, what happens next is what will really be telling. 

Until then, the team projects as a loser both on and off the field, and I would wager that is what has fans most upset at the moment.  Deep down, no one wants to root for a loser, certainly not one that fails to entertain or aspire to something bigger or better. 

Everyone knew that Hamilton wouldn’t solve all the M’s problems, but at the same time, he provided a sense of hope that the organization was committed to building a winner on the field and generating excitement off it as well.

The same thing could have been said this time last year when discussing Prince Fielder, and at this rate, it will likely happen again next year with whatever big name is available. 

The loss of Hamilton hurts a bit more, though, for two reasons.  

For starters, the M’s genuinely seemed to be in pursuit of Hamilton rather than simply paying lip service, like they did last year to Fielder. 

Perhaps more importantly, however, is the fact that we’ve all just lived through yet another season of watching Felix Hernandez pitch brilliantly alongside an uninspiring, albeit young supporting cast.  

It leaves a lot to be desired and questioned amongst a continually dwindling fanbase.  

Can this franchise rebound?

Will they sign someone decent ever again in free agency?

Will the youngsters ever amount to anything?

Do we need to trade our prospects, or should we hold on to them?

What should we do with Felix?

Is there any reason to keeping Felix if he’s never going to be anything more than a .500 pitcher on a lousy team?

If the Mariners do keep him, can they afford him?

Today, nobody has answers to these questions, but Larry Stone at The Seattle Times certainly put together a few thoughts on the issue of what to do with Felix and concluded:       

It’s an agonizing dilemma for the Mariners, made all the more poignant by their decline in popularity, and their low standing in the estimation of their fans, who would certainly view a trade of Hernandez in a highly negative fashion. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out—and the moment of truth is rapidly approaching.

OK, I’m getting bummed out again.

Does anyone have Nick Swisher‘s phone number?

How about the number of his wife’s agent?

What if the Mariners were to develop/produce a TV show that shoots either in Seattle or Vancouver as a means of luring Joanna Garcia to the Pacific Northwest for a starring role as a means of sweetening a deal for Swisher?

Would that work?

Successful TV shows usually run three to four seasons, so that should align quite well with Swisher’s expectations, right?

I’ll confess, I’m grasping at straws here on this one, but if anyone else has a better idea, I’m all ears.

Until next time, hang in there, Seattle fans, and perhaps cross your fingers that Jack Zduriencik has something up his sleeve far better than a script for a sitcom pilot starring Joanna Garcia. 

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It’s all about Felix Hernandez in Seattle. The Mariners revolve around him.

For now, anyway, and for good or ill. Of all the situations that must be handled with care in Major League Baseball, Hernandez’s future with the Mariners is right at the top of the list.

With only two years left on King Felix’s deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has reported that the Mariners are looking to make him a “Mariner for life.” Hernandez himself has often expressed his fondness for Seattle, so it’s certainly possible that he’ll choose not to wait to depart for greener pastures when he hits free agency in 2015.

However, this report from Ken Davidoff of the New York Post casts doubt on the idea:

An extension for Felix Hernandez appears extremely unlikely this winter. Talks with #Mariners didn’t get very far.

— Ken Davidoff (@KenDavidoff) December 5, 2012

I’m assuming that talks didn’t get far because Hernandez and his people aren’t fools. The Mariners are no doubt willing to pay him handsomely to keep him in a Seattle uniform for the rest of his career, but now would be a poor time for Hernandez to commit.

Perched high upon his throne, King Felix can see that Zack Greinke is on the lookout for the richest contract ever given to a right-handed pitcher. In fact, Jon Heyman has said that Greinke could become the richest pitcher of any kind in major league history.

The smart thing for Hernandez to do is wait for Greinke, who is three years older and less accomplished, to set the market for elite right-handers and then give the Mariners a call and ask if they see all those zeroes on Greinke‘s new deal.

Or Hernandez could wait even longer. He’s not the only ace pitcher who could sign an extension soon, as Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander are also due to hit free agency in 2015. More than likely, both of them will top Greinke’s new deal.

If Hernandez really wants to maximize his career earnings—and why wouldn’t he?—he’ll sign a contract in a market set by Kershaw and/or Verlander rather than a market set by Greinke.

No wonder he’s in no hurry to sign now. Hernandez could surely make a boatload of money if he were to re-up with the Mariners now, but he could make several boatloads of money if he signs in the future.

All he has to do between now and this theoretical “then” is do his thing out on the mound. And to that end, he should be fine.

The dilemma the Mariners have to deal with in the meantime is that they have work to do to shape themselves into a contender, as they stand a much better chance of keeping King Felix in his castle if he knows he can succeed in Seattle just as well, or better, as he can elsewhere.

For the Mariners to achieve their goal, money is going to have to be spent. It’s either that or wait on the team’s top prospects to develop into impact major leaguers, and that train may not arrive before the end of the 2014 season.

The Mariners seem to have come to the same conclusion. General manager Jack Zduriencik has kicked the tires on several of this winter’s top free agents, including Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com has said that the Mariners are negotiating with Hamilton. Bourn could be a fallback option if the club can’t sign Hamilton, as Jon Heyman has said they rather like him. He’s also listed the Mariners as one of the top options for Swisher.

Any one of the three is likely to cost the Mariners around $15 million per year, with Hamilton more likely to cost them around $25 million per year. This is not a case of a long-suffering franchise aiming for low-risk, high-reward investments. This is a case of a long-suffering franchise ready to go for it.

The Mariners have good excuses to go all-in (or all-out) this winter. The big-market clubs don’t seem to be in on their primary targets. They’re due to get roughly $50 million per year from the league’s new TV deals starting in 2014. They can opt out of their own TV deal after 2015 and sign a more lucrative agreement.

Nonetheless, there are two big questions begging to be asked.

One: Is one marquee bat really all the Mariners need to contend in the immediate future?

Two: Despite the money that’s due to come their way, will they still be able to make Hernandez a competitive offer after they sign said marquee bat?

The best answer that can be given for the first question is maybe. The Mariners should see an uptick in their offensive production with the fences at Safeco Field coming in, and adding a top hitter would only help. But they have a long way to go from being downright bad to being good enough on offense, and they happen to play in one of the deepest divisions in baseball.

The answer to the second question is also a maybe. You have to think that Hernandez’s next deal is going to be worth at least $30 million per year. Even with all the money that’s going to be floating around, the Mariners may not be able to afford a deal like that if they’re committing $15-$25 million to a shiny new hitter starting in 2013.

There’s a chance the Mariners will be able to live with letting Hernandez go eventually. Taijuan Walker and Danny Hultzen could arrive and quickly establish themselves as stud starters, and James Paxton looks pretty good too. Nick Franklin and Mike Zunino could arrive and further bolster the club’s offense, which already features high-ceiling youngsters in Jesus Montero and Dustin Ackley.

If these guys all pan out and the club’s new hitter turns out to be a good investment, bidding King Felix adieu won’t hurt so bad if it becomes apparent the Mariners have no choice. If these guys all pan out and the Mariners are able to ink Hernandez for the long haul, all will have worked out in the club’s favor.

Of course, there would still be risk even in that scenario. Age and/or injuries could turn King Felix into a liability with a massive contract, in which case the Mariners would be forced to work around him sort of like the Minnesota Twins and Joe Mauer. In the much longer run, King Felix’s deal would prove impossible to move and it could keep the Mariners from retaining their homegrown stars.

Disaster could also ensue in the much shorter term. What if the Mariners are unable to sign an impact hitter this winter? What if they are, only to get Adrian Beltre’d or Chone Figgins’d all over again? On top of that, what if several or all of their top youngsters fail to develop into capable major leaguers between now and the end of Hernandez’s current deal?

If these things come to pass, Hernandez’s considerable abilities will continue to be wasted on a mediocre team. The decision before him will be to stay put or bite his tongue until it’s time to leave.

The decision before the Mariners, meanwhile, will be whether they want to commit a good chunk of their payroll space to Hernandez and then continuing to trust their (as yet unproven) ability to build a contender around him.

It’s either that, or do what seemingly every team in the big leagues wants them to do and trade their king.

There’s no chance of this happening now. The Mariners look and sound optimistic, and that’s perfectly fine given the circumstances. But if they are going to trade Hernandez, they had better do it sooner rather than later.

Let’s say the 2013 season develops like a typical Mariners season. There may be flashes here and there, particularly on days when Hernandez is pitching, but the club will soon find itself closer to last place in the AL West than to first place.

Come the trade deadline, the Mariners will have to decide whether to trade Hernandez for a large basket of talented prospects as a season-and-a-half rental, or hold on to him and continue to hold out hope.

Holding on to him would come with great risk. King Felix’s trade value will only get lower and lower as he gets closer to the end of his contract, while the price to sign him could skyrocket if Kershaw and/or Verlander jump the gun and sign extensions.

The worst-case scenario involves the Mariners foolishly holding on to Hernandez through the end of the 2014 season only to watch him walk. All they’ll get then is a compensatory draft pick, which will look all the more measly when measured against the prospects the Mariners could have received in a trade.

The Mariners must not let this scenario come to fruition. If all their chips are down and they have interested parties lusting after Hernandez, they should trade him. If their chips are up and the market has spoken on Hernandez’s value, they should go ahead and ink him. If Hernandez proves unwilling to sign while the Mariners have a couple of replacement aces standing at the ready in Walker and Hultzen, they should get what they can for him and move on.

The club’s preference, obviously, is to keep Hernandez for as long as possible, and to lock him up sooner rather than later.

But that’s only going to happen if Hernandez plays nice. Assuming he doesn’t, the Mariners will soon be faced with an array of choices that will include clear-cut wrong ones but no clear-cut right ones.

Godspeed, Mr. Zduriencik. In your franchise pitcher, you hold the fate of your franchise.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Salary information courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. 

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

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The following countdown touts my best early guess of the top 20 starting pitchers heading into fantasy drafts for 2013.

(Stats compiled through Sept. 13.)

This off-the-cuff brainstorm may be rooted in hard numbers, but it’s also a soft measurement of where the market currently stands and where it’ll be in mid-to-late March.

For all we know, young guns like Dylan Bundy (Orioles), Jake Odorizzi (Royals), Matt Harvey (Mets), Gerrit Cole (Pirates), Trevor Bauer (Diamondbacks) or teen prodigy Jose Fernandez (Marlins) could somehow force their way into the next countdown, thanks to a stupendous spring.

But at this point, I prefer to lean on the following cast of savvy veterans, which includes a 23-year-old lefty who’s primed for a big jump next season.

Enjoy the show!

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In case you haven’t noticed, the Mariners are actually on fire of late having won six in a row and 13 of their last 14 games at Safeco Field.  

For a team that looked simply lost just a few weeks ago, this recent surge is a welcome change of pace that in some ways have made my modest goals from last week seem perhaps a bit short-sighted.

Who knew that Felix Hernandez would actually throw a perfect game?

I’ll be the first to confess that I’m no soothsayer, but I also figure why not have a little fun with this and put together a list of what the fans would like to see from the Mariners before the end of this season.  

So before Felix takes the mound again again, I put together a list of a few things I’d like to see in the final months… 

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