MLB Rumors is reporting that Felix has hit a snag in his extension talks with the M's, as his elbow has some concerning issues found in his physical.

Still wish we had traded the farm for him, everyone?

I'm curious if the lack of faith in Seattle paying him so handsomely will make Felix Hernandez consider how badly he wants to stay a Mariner for his entire career. Stephen Strasburg was none too thrilled at how Washington handled him last year, perhaps enough to make him want to leave when his rookie deal runs up.

Eric, I don't know that Hernandez would have bad feelings towards Seattle... They werre about to back up the money dump truck and make him the highest paid RHP ever... The fault for the contract fallin through is rightfully because of HIS health. The only person he can have bitter feelings for is himself and maybe the doctor who discovered the issue.

That's a good point. At the same time, I can wishfully think about him hitting the free agent market, can't I? Please?

From the sounds of it, the guy is a season or two from TJ surgery... If you can get him at a discount, sure, he'll give some surplus for a year or two til the elbow blows, then you hope he has a good receovery and you squeeze anything out of him later.

I like the Hernandez, but knowledge is king, and now, knowledge of the King's condition would make me very nervous of a long term deal if I were a GM.

'Still wish we had traded the farm for him, everyone?'
So I guess what you are saying is if we had traded for him our doctors are so negligent that they would not have found this problem? WOW

And as for your point about Strasburg, I don't think anyone sees him as wanting to stay with Washington, unless they miraculously become contenders int he years leading up to his FA. I see him in pinstripes or pitching in Boston asap.

@ The other Eric, Keith Meister is one of the best in the businesswhen it comes to Sports Ortho. No doubt he'd have discovered it, but many on the board here wanted to get Felix as early as 2009 as I recall, and who knows if the injury would have shown up then or when he signed his last extension. But we all know, fastball pitchers are very frequently ticking timebombs, so it could have happened to anyone.

DUH

@Rangerbourne,

You're telling me that the Nats aren't contenders? I think you're wrong. They RAN away with the NL East and were ONE OUT AWAY from the NLCS (courtesy of the Cards). They're more than a contender, I'd consider them a favorite in the NL (behind SFG) to appear in the WS. They're MUCH better than the Rangers are.

I agree with Nompton....the Nats shut Strassburg down last year because of their self imposed 200 inning limit. Strassburg wasn't available for the playoffs and the Nats just missed out. I also do not think they shut him down to save him for a Yankee or Red Sox big payday either.

rangerborn is a wannabe. he doesn't know anything.

Considering how much the Nats gave Jason Werth and Raphael Soriano I'd have to say that I don't see them having any problems backing up the truck for another Boras client. Also as far as I'm concerned the Nats are the favorites in the NL this season.

Felix Hernandez will never pitch as a ranger, nor will Kershaw, wainwright, or Josh Johnson. The rangers have proven they won't dish out the big money for anyone that goes beyond five years.

WoW! What a blow to Seattle, Felix and even baseball in general.
What the hell do you do about that scenario? Felix had to feel the stress.
No wonder he signed so easily. Not so much the Hometown Hero and
loyal to even give up a chance at a WS, with a winning/strong organization.

@Target-WS I think you sign a 25M a year extension for 7 years in any case. I do not think he "signed" so easily.

Most pitchers don't perform at a big money level for 5 years, even rarer are the pitchers that perform at a TORP level for more than that...so 80% of the time when a team gets a TORP that has been performing at that level they will eat money at some point in even a 5 year contract. I think the FO has used good judgement.

Yeah, I may be selling Washington short, but I just have a hard time believing they'll be contenders every year until Strasburg's FA. Washington has shown they have $$ with the Werth and soriano signings, but I just don't know they'll he in a good place to extend Harper and Dtradburg around their departure time, especially if they stay on their projection so far,

The reason being Rangerborn is you know nothing about baseball.

I'll take The King. He'd make a great #5 starter. :)

Peace

This is likely much ado about nothing. They are probably trying to work it like the CC Sabathia deal where the Yanees are able to buy him out if he suffers a specific injury,

"unless they miraculously become contenders int he years leading up to his FA. I see him in pinstripes or pitching in Boston asap"

Odds to win the world series
Boston +1250
NY +800
Wash +600

If you dont understand moneylines, that means the nats are more of contenders then either bos or ny, and by a good margin
As a matter of fact they are the favorites in the entire league to win the world series

Selling them short maybe a bit of an understatement

obviously this Rangerboring guy knows very little about baseball.

Yup. Thanks guys.THUMBS UP. I'll be here all year.

RangerBoring:
GOOD, maybe you will learn something.