A one-year contract between Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez and the ballclub is all that's planned for now.
Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said Monday, after the $3.8 million contract was agreed to, that talks toward a longer deal could be revisited as the months progress. But for now, with spring training less than a month away, the Mariners are merely glad to have avoided arbitration with their blossoming ace. "I think as we move forward, we'll talk about different options," said Zduriencik, who wrapped up organizational meetings with his team's coaches, assistants and scouts over the weekend. "The priority was to get him signed right now. Obviously, we did so. As time goes on, we'll keep the door open to an opportunity that may present itself."
Hernandez was one of eight Mariners major-leaguers and 16 players throughout the organization named Monday to provisional rosters for the World Baseball Classic. He joins Carlos Silva, Jose Lopez and Endy Chavez on the Venezuelan team, while Ichiro and Kenji Johjima have been named to the Japanese squad, Adrian Beltre to the Dominican Republic team and Ryan Rowland-Smith to the Australian club.
The rosters are not final and several players have yet to commit to participating in the tournament.
Zduriencik said he's still seeking upgrades and may not be finished revamping the Mariners. Despite indications in a weekend radio interview that he's leaning toward starting Chavez in left field over Wladimir Balentien, he's holding off on making that call until after spring training begins.
"I don't think you make those decisions before anyone's been out there with the guys," he said.
Rumors that the team will seek a longer deal with Hernandez tend to routinely surface at this time of year. But despite plenty of previous talk about locking up Hernandez especially after Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Lopez achieved long-term contracts in 2007 none of it has ever come to fruition.
Hernandez was in his first year of arbitration eligibility and will be under club control through 2011. Monday's deal enables the two sides to avoid a potentially acrimonious arbitration hearing, but Hernandez will still have to go through the same ritual each offseason unless the team agrees to a longer deal that would essentially "buy out" his remaining arbitration years and carry forward beyond that.
Zduriencik did caution that "it takes two sides to get a deal like that done," meaning Hernandez's side might feel it's in his best interests to be patient now and not attempt to lock in until after next season. If he were to have a monster year in 2009, he'd be potentially worth even more as he heads closer to free agency.
There's also the issue of what direction the Mariners are headed and whether Hernandez wants to lock himself in with a team that may go through major rebuilding.
