SEATTLE — There’s always talk, and that’s all it has ever been, about the Mariners needing to deal Felix Hernandez, for whatever reason.
There’s the strategy of getting a bounty of players to take care of other needs. There’s the reason that after his contract runs out in 2014, he may not re-sign with the Mariners, even though he appears to love it here.
Comments
Dream on. It may seem to be a sensible trade, but the Mariners have one other advantage - there is always the threat to trade Felix to the Yankees. That would be a double whammy the Red Sox cringes thinking about. The Mariners know that they would do almost anything to keep Hernandez away from the Yankees and the prospect of facing him several times a year. Of course, it works the other way as well. Either way, the bidding war would be mighty pricy in terms of personnel and salaries. In light of this, the trade discussed in the article is way too light.
Ever since Abraham's piece a couple of weeks ago I've been touting a Lester/ Pedroia for Hernandez trade, much to the chagrin of Sox fans I encounter; the combined current salaries would effectively balance out. However, as much as I think Ellsbury is a more dynamic player and thus more of a keeper, the fact remains that Pedroia plays the role of spark-plug (even when he's not going at maximum efficiency as is currently the case) and the chances of signing Ellsbury long-term are minimal. With the current plethora of outfielders we suddenly have currently on the 40-man roster, this deal would make lots of sense. Carfardo is right on when pointing out the fact that what this team really lacks is a front-line stud and Lester's lack of - what...concentration? execution? - over the last year shows that he can not currently fill that role. Buchholz is a great talent with a questionable understanding of what it takes to stay on the field and maximize that talent, Beckett and Lackey are past their prime and carry burdensome contracts for trade value, and the system is at least two years away from producing anyone that might qualify. Put Felix at the front end of this team and we have as good a shot as anyone else at going the distance.
Looking over deja and enjoying the vu, I feel like I've read this same column a few times now in the GLOBE, only with the names "Dice-K Matsuzaka" and "Adrian Gonzalez" instead of "Felix Hernandez." Maybe the headline should read "A Cautionary Tale," or "Remember When Dad Taught You How To Spell 'A-S-S-U-M-E'?" Super-stardom does not always survive translation and/or relocation. I admit, however, that it makes a great parlor game and is a failproof way to whip up the instant-gratification element in our fan base...