Is it Time for The Mariners to Trade Felix Hernandez?

The Mariners were 26th in Major League Baseball attendance last season and they have failed to finish in the top 15 in the category since 2006. The only time that fans flock to Safeco Field in Seattle is when Hernandez is on the mound. Mariners fans received a treat last season when Hernandez threw a perfect game against The Tampa Bay Rays on August 15. Out of 30 MLB teams last season, The Mariners were 27th in runs scored (619), 29th in hits (1,285) and they were dead last in batting average (.234). With the exception of former Mariner Ichiro Suzuki, the team hasn’t had an everyday player on The American League All-Star team since Jose Lopez in 2006. This is a far cry from the 90’s when Griffey, Rodriguez, and Edgar Martinez were regulars at The Midsummer Classic.

With Hernandez as the only current bargaining chip that Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has right now, this is the time to field offers, but with MLB’s GM meetings going on this week and The Winter Meetings to take place next month, The Mariners cannot stand pat. As far as things go in The AL West, The Texas Rangers are still the team to beat while The Oakland Athletics are a young and resilient bunch. The Los Angeles Angels failed to make the postseason in 2012 after going on a free-agent frenzy last year and you cannot expect them to fall short of the playoffs in 2013. The Houston Astros are the newcomers to the division and they are in total rebuilding mode. With an extra wild-card spot in place it is easier to make the postseason and remain in contention for a longer time during the regular season. The Mariners aren’t going to contend with “King Felix” but will any big market teams be willing to take him on?

The New York Yankees are the logical fit for Hernandez. Hernandez has been rumored to be on The Yankees radar. At the new Yankee Stadium, Hernandez is 4-1 in his career with an earned run average under 2.00. There could be a few hiccups with this. In 2012, The Yankees had the highest payroll in baseball at nearly $198 million and they are looking to slide down the pay scale in 2013. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has to work on deals for current Yankees Robinson Cano and Mariano Rivera. The Yankees got burned by The Mariners last season when they traded their top catching prospect Jesus Montero to Seattle in exchange for starting pitcher Michael Pineda. Pineda was coming off of a rookie season in 2011 where he posted a 9-10 record with an earned run average of 3.74 and 173 strikeouts. After feeling shoulder discomfort at the start of spring training, Pineda had to undergo surgery to repair an anterior labral tear in his right shoulder which forced him to miss the entire 2012 season. Some fans and media in New York City felt that The Mariners knew about this prior to the trade, but Cashman assured people that this wasn’t the case. Although Cashman may come out publicly and say that The Yankees want to hold on to their prospects, the final decision could come down to Yankee owners Hank and Hal Steinbrenner who do not believe in rebuilding; especially when The Yankees have won 27 World Series Championships and they very badly want to add to that number.

The Detroit Tigers won The American League Pennant last season before being swept by The San Francisco Giants in The World Series. With infielders Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder in their prime, this is the time to push forward for a World Series Title. All-Star starting pitcher Justin Verlander is arguably the best pitcher in the game right now and it wouldn’t hurt to give him some protection in the rotation. The Tigers can cakewalk through The AL Central in the regular season, but this team will be judged by what they do in the playoffs solely due to the talent that they have which could make it possible for Tigers general manger David Dombrowski to look into possibly acquiring Hernandez.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan is not afraid to open up the vault for pitching since he took over in 2010. In 2010, Texas acquired starting pitcher Cliff Lee from The Mariners for four players including current Mariners Justin Smoak and Blake Beaven. Lee helped The Rangers reach The World Series for the first time in franchise history that year. After flirting with both The Yankees and Rangers in free agency in 2010, Lee ultimately signed a five-year, $120 million deal with The Philadelphia Phillies. Last offseason The Rangers signed Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish to a six-year, $56 million deal. Ryan won’t be afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal if it means sending prospects or spending money because he wants to win a World Series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers cannot be left out of the mix either as they are rapidly becoming The Yankees of The National League after blockbuster trades last year to acquire shortstop Hanley Ramirez, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, and outfielder Carl Crawford.. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is in line to bring another starting pitcher to Los Angeles behind Clayton Kershaw as they expect Chad Billingsley to be on the shelf for 2013 as he is staring down the barrel of potential Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers have expressed interest in free-agent pitcher Zack Greinke, but if they miss out The Dodgers would not shy away from sending a call to The Pacific Northwest for Hernandez.

The more teams that show interest in Hernandez will only drive up the amount of talent that The Mariners could potentially get in return which makes the next few months key for Zduriencik if the team is going to trade their ace. After 2014, Hernandez will more than likely walk as a free agent if he still a Mariner which makes trading him soon the only logical option.