King Felix just got PAID

[SuperKevin]

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Mariners have agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with right-handed starter Felix Hernandez.
The deal -- which truly came out of nowhere -- makes "King Felix" the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. Hernandez was already under contract for $19.5 million in 2013 and $20 million in 2014. Now he'll make an average salary of $25 million through the 2019 season. The 26-year-old posted a 3.06 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 223/56 K/BB ratio in 232 innings last summer for Seattle.

From Rotoworld.

The guy deserves every penny of this contract. David Price and Justin Verlander must have the biggest hardons now when they think about their contracts

[Warner2BruceTD]

Now we can stop hearing these stupid trade rumors every year.

[JimLeavy59]

Happy to hear.

[Chrispy]

Good for Seattle to lock him down and good for Felix, he deserves it.

[NAHSTE]

Now we can stop hearing these stupid trade rumors every year.

7 years is a long time. We'll hear them again at some point.

[Rudi]

Well deserved

[Goober]

Wow, Felix is only 26? Seems like he has been around forever, but I guess that's what happens when you're in the majors at 18.

[Mogriffjr]

BiggaAdams just did a happy dance

[Primetime]

SEATTLE -- Despite the flood of national reports on Thursday saying Felix Hernandez and the Mariners had agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract, the Mariners insisted again Friday that those reports are incorrect and no deal is pending at this moment.

"We've been consistent on this," said Tim Hevly, Mariners director of baseball information. "No announcement is planned or imminent."

There's no question the Mariners and Hernandez have been pursuing a contract extension and could be close to a new deal, but it appears any reports of an actual agreement were premature.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130208&content_id=41496268&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

[Youk]

Right now, no deal for Felix yet. There is an issue with his elbow that they found during the physical that has caused a delay in the contract.

#mariners & felix r trying to work thru various issues, including 1 that came up in physical. could take a wk, mnth or more

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/10/elbow-issue-could-derail-that-felix-hernandez-extension/

[BiggaAdams]

Felix is on his way right now to Arizona for his physical. All is good.

[TheImmortalGoud]

Rotoworld

FOX Sports' Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal report that Felix Hernandez's new contract includes a $1 million club option for an eighth season if he sustains a specific elbow injury.

It would indicate that Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik might not have been entirely truthful when he said King Felix received a "clean bill of health" during his pre-signing physical. Morosi and Rosenthal say that Hernandez would have to miss 120-130 days within one season or consecutive seasons in order for the clause to activate.