At $175 million, Hernandez is highest paid pitcher
Felix Hernandez and Seattle reached an agreement on a contract that makes the Mariners hurler the highest-paid pitcher in baseball. Hernandez is three-time All-Star and 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner. The deal is expected to pay $175 million over seven years.
“It’s a great thing for Felix Hernandez, and I am looking forward to this guy being here for a very long time, obviously,” said Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik. Seattle now has its ace pitcher 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, 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. For his career, Hernandez has allowed two earned runs or less in 141 of 238 starts, but the Seattle team is only 99-42 in those games due to the offensive problems.