Felix Hernandez is still under contract in Seattle for two more seasons, but the Mariners are hoping to keep him around a lot longer than that. According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (via Twitter), the M' have broached the subject of a new multiyear deal for King Felix, in hopes of making him a "Mariner for life." Although Heyman classifies the talks as very preliminary, he says Seattle is pushing to make something happen.
GM Jack Zduriencik, who has insisted for years that his ace is unavailable via trade, told Greg Johns of MLB.com back in October that he hopes to keep Hernandez in Seattle long-term. More recently, Zduriencik appeared on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM with Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on Monday (audio link) and confirmed the Mariners have spoken to Felix about an extension.
Hernandez will only be 28 years old when his current contract expires, so if Seattle is serious about making him a "Mariner for life," it would mean adding a significant number of years to the end of that deal.
