A right shoulder issue has prevented former Mariners superstar Felix Hernandez from taking the ball in the majors since May 11. As a result, the 33-year-old pending free agent isn’t a sure bet to suit up for the Mariners again, though he’s still holding out hope for a 2019 return, Greg Johns of MLB.com relays. Hernandez threw a 22-pitch live batting practice session Thursday and could begin a rehab assignment Sunday, but manager Scott Servais isn’t sure if he has progressed to that point, according to Johns.
If Hernandez does make it back to Seattle this year, the 2010 AL Cy Young winner and six-time All-Star realizes he’ll be auditioning just to land a 2020 opportunity somewhere.
“I need it,” Hernandez told Johns. “If I want to play next year, I need to go out there and pitch. I have to go out and compete. I’ve been thinking about next year, for sure. That’s why I need to go out there and show them I can pitch.”
A lack of availability was never a problem earlier in the career of Hernandez, who fired 190-plus innings each year from 2006 – his first full season – through 2015. Hernandez exceeded the 200-frame mark eight times during that span (every season from 2008-15) and combined for a sterling 3.13 ERA/3.21 FIP with 8.53 K/9, 2.51 BB/9 and 50.4 fWAR over 2,178 innings. Hernandez looked like a potential Hall of Famer then, which convinced the Mariners to sign him to a seven-year, $175MM extension shortly before the 2013 season began. Unfortunately for Seattle, it hasn’t gotten great overall value out of its massive commitment to the franchise icon, who has faced injuries and a significant drop in performance over the past few seasons.
Hernandez declined into something akin to a back-end starter from 2016-17, a span in which he totaled 239 2/3 innings, and has statistically been one of the least effective rotation pieces in baseball since last season. Dating back to then, Hernandez has tossed 194 1/3 innings of 5.74 ERA/5.23 FIP ball. Although he has mustered playable strikeout, walk and groundball rates (7.36 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 47.5 GB%), Hernandez ranks last in ERA and FIP among 102 starters who have accumulated 180 or more innings over the past year-plus.
Considering his recent, injury-aided fall from grace, Hernandez certainly isn’t on the brink of a lucrative trip to free agency (a guaranteed contract isn’t even a sure thing). However, it’s fair to say most baseball fans – especially those in Seattle – would like to see King Felix return this season and potentially end his tremendous Mariners tenure on a high note.
I will miss Felix in a Mariners uniform, but it’s time for the Mariners to move on. I doubt that Felix would take a bullpen role and it would almost be a slap in the face from the same organization that wasted his good years.
In arguably his best season, 2014, he had the chance to beat Toronto and get Seattle into the playoffs but not only lost the Mariners chances at the playoffs, but also his Cy-Young award.
Do we talk about the terrible offense and how that was the actual reason we didnt make the playoffs, or are we just blaming Felix’s one bad start
No, Felix needs to be held accountable for giving up 8 runs when he and the team had the chance to make the playoffs. Can’t blame the offense for 8 runs.
Felix – one bad game in the one chance he had.
Offense – many bad seasons during Felix’s prime.
Maybe you should blame coaching for keeping a pitcher in for 8 runs, in the midst of a playoff run.
I don’t know why you all give Felix such a pass. He chose to sign the extension and collect his 27 million a year knowing very well the team was going nowhere. Everybody knew that Jack Zdurensik had no clue what he was doing. Yet Felix was perfectly fine collecting his money while under no pressure at all. If it was such a problem, he could have been like most athletes this age and ask for a trade.
Suppose he likes Seattle? Suppose he likes $27m?
Yeah, that’s the point.
Felix earned that money and deserved every penny of it for the Mariners completely wasting his prime.
Sure, and if the guy cared about winning he would have gotten it from NY or Boston.
And if he cared more about his family and personal reasonings other than recreational entertainment, he still would have made the same decision.
Seriously… he needs to be “held accountable” 5-years later as he’s given his entire adult (and even teenage) life to one city/organization/team and gone out there hundreds and hundreds of times to pitch for them. Like I’m sure he wasn’t happy/proud of blowing that game and the postseason chance. But he’s not a small child who has done something requiring a reprimand… he had a bad start – 5 years ago…
It’s not just one bad start five years, the guy has come in the same out of shape self since he was in his mid 20’s. And has done nothing to try and reinvent himself. He started buying into what the Mariners were trying to teach for a few starts and then as soon as he thought he had it again he went back to his old ways.
Funny, in Felix’s September starts before that Toronto game he gave up 3 earned runs total in 28 innings. I’ve seen you get on people about dumb posts multiple times on here. Chalk one up for you.
In Felix’s defense, the 2014 Blue Jays had an outstanding lineup.
Voting takes place before the playoffs so I don’t think that killed his Cy Young chances.
The start happened a week before the season ended and many writers quoted that start as a reason they voted Kluber over him.
Wording in first sentence is a bit deceiving. Most will know what Conner is trying to say but a casual East Coast fan might not. I try not to be that guy but that one made me think for a second did I miss something.
Hopefully he can come back and look good enough to get a minor league contract with an invite to ST. The team offering is hopefully Seattle. Would love to see him finish his career in Seattle. If he looks bad go back on IL and take the money and get your number next to Robinson Griffey and Martinez. Good luck you have been fun to watch.
Maybe he can find a job with a rebuilding team that needs some innings eaten, like the Mariners.
What’s sad is he will never pitch here again. His last starts will be remember and his decade of excellence will be passed over.
The mariners wasted him and then when then finally got a team around him he wasted them. Sad story. Mike trout is headed on this arc sadly too.
The Angels have an infinitely better team than the mariners and deep pockets. The mariners have……Dipoto. Guy is a disaster of a GM.
The Mariners in fact have more money to spend, a much better farm system and an actual plan other than sign expensive veterans who they hope can rebound or build upon breakout seasons that happen in their 30s.
Have any of you Angel fans really looked at what Dipoto has done in Seattle? What he has done with the farm system or are you going off what he did to your team? He has been far from a disaster here. He hasn’t hit on every deal no GM does but he has improved the team. If you think this team will be awful in a couple years you are looking through homer glasses. We have seen bad GMs and Dipoto is better by far than the last two we have had.
We gotta resign King Felix he is a Mariner
No, we really don’t.
Sure u do. Not like the Ms r any good anyways. They made the mistake moving in from ichiro don’t with Felix. Especially when ur years away from being relevant
The the King forever a M’s…
As a lifelong, and huge fan of baseball. This is one of the sadder career turns in recent memory. No one wants to see a guy who was once dubbed “King” get to a point in his career where he’s statistically one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball. It just makes me sad, for him, and more generally for the M’s too. This is a guy who really did nothing but go out there and take the ball every 5th day and give it his all. He never really had any off-field issues nor did he ever really say/do anything controversial/obnoxious. He was just a fun pitcher to watch in his prime and it’s just an unfortunate end (assuming it is the end/close to it) to his otherwise very impressive career.
I wish him the best and hope he does come back and maybe reinvent himself a bit and turns into a serviceable pitcher – but unfortunately all of the evidence is to the contrary. No matter what – it would be nice to see him make it back and pitch at least one more time for the team that he’s spent his entire life playing for – best of luck.
Do you guys think that he might swallow his pride a little bit for next year and develop into a closer? Does he even have the velocity to do so?
Dunno about a closer…middle reliever on a rebuilding team sure. Most guys pick up a couple miles an hour knowing they’re not going to be out there all night. I believe I remember Tim Lincecum doing it his final times with the giants…he wasn’t great but, he wasn’t absolutely useless.
Felix’s velocity sits in the upper 80s, not closer material.
Felix 2020 Contract Option Clause:
If Elbow Injury for 120-130 days, add a 2020 Club Option ($1 million)
Felix is a FA this offseason UNLESS the above clause is triggered in the last 2 years of his contract. He’s been on the IL since May 11. September 11 would be 120 days, and September 21 would be 130 days. I’m wondering if this contract clause would actually get triggered, and maybe under the circumstances of his horrible SP stats since 2015 he will be in Seattle in 2020 for $1M now. His contract stipulates 120 “consecutive” days.
This is the ONLY way Felix is on our team in 2020. Somehow I doubt Seattle would enforce this clause.
Seattle got more than their money’s worth from Felix Since 2005 though. It’s been hard to swallow his 2016-19 stats when he’s making $27+M/yr and a detriment when Seattle was investing huge $$$ in the team to get to the playoffs.
Season WAR Dollars
2005 2.3 $10.90
2006 3.3 $15.80
2007 3.5 $19.50
2008 3.6 $22.50
2009 7 $44.80
2010 6.8 $40.60
2011 5.3 $40.20
2012 6.6 $42.80
2013 6.1 $45.30
2014 5.6 $42.20
2015 2.7 $21.50
2016 1.1 $8.90
2017 0.4 $3.40
2018 0.2 $1.70
2019 0.2 $1.50
Total 54.6 $361.40
Not a Mariners fan in fact I am a Yankees fan so you know this Hass to be an on biased opinion, how can you put all of the troubles on a franchise on one starting pitcher? The offense has been horrible their bullpen has been laughable the only time they were in short winds is when Felix went out there and gave them 8+ innings. I lost count how many games the Mariners won over that span because Felix went nine innings and they would’ve won the game 2-1 or1-0. As it goes to his lack of durability as of late the numbers don’t lie seven years he threw over 200 innings and 10 years at least 190 innings. He needs to go to a franchise that has a bullpen that they believe and so once he gets through the sixth inning he’s done for the day.
Over rated, he is done. Has been for a while. Living in the past.
Definitely was not overrated in his prime.
He’s not overrated, it’s general consensus that he’s no longer a Major League pitcher….I think he will get it together elsewhere and probably come shut us out when he faces us. I could see him yelling..”IT’S STILL MY HOUSE!” if he were to do that.
As much as I love & respect King Felix, he is all done in MLB. His fastball sits in the high 80’s right now; he might touch 90 mph every once in a while. If you put him in a bullpen anywhere; he’s going to get slaughtered. His only hope for continuing his career is really work on his off speed stuff and master the split fingered fastball. If he goes out there throwing a 90mph two seam or four seam fastball, it will be batting practice for every major league club. For his own legacy, he should retire after this season and Seattle should honor him as the Star he was for so many years.