KING FELIX RUMBLINGS... WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

A lot of people can argue that Mariner's pitcher Felix Hernandez is the best in the game. And at 25 years old, I would have to agree. This guy won the 2010 AL Cy Young despite winning just 13 games with the weak Mariner offense behind him. He also won 19 games in 2009, and in both seasons he had an ERA under 2.50. This season he's 3-2 with a 3.21 ERA. The Mariners are a near lock to finish last, again, in the American League West this season. And the closer they get to being locked in the cellar, the more rumors you'll hear about Felix Herandez and the Yankees.

Right now the Yankees have a solid rotation with CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, and Ivan Nova, all of whom have pitched very well the last week and a half. But, don't expect Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to dominate the entire season. Ivan Nova will have his growing pains, and A.J. Burnett could self destruct and any minute, although I don't think he will even though it has happened in the past. With that in mind, the Yankees will probably try to go out and acquire an ace starter at the July 31st trade deadline, and they have their eyes set on Felix Herandez.

But before Yankee fans go out and buy their custom Felix Hernandez Yankee jerseys, you may want to re-think that. In an interview with Fox Sports, King Felix said the following about possibly being traded: "I don’t know, man, not my decision. It’s out of my hands. I want to stay here. I’m happy here. I’m part of the Seattle Mariners. That’s all I can say.”

Now, of course he's going to say that. It's not like he's going to say publicly that he wants to leave the Mariners to go to the Yankees. Maybe deep down he does, as of now, we don't know. By the way, Hernandez signed a five year extension with the Mariners before the start of the 2010 season. So, if the Yankees don't trade for him they'll have to wait until after the 2014 campaign and hope he hasn't signed another deal by then.A rival GM said that if he was Mariner General Manager Jack Zduriencik, he would trade Felix Hernandez to the Yankees for Ivan Nova, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Jesus Montero. That's where the Yankees should draw the line. If I was GM Brian Cashman, I would not make that trade. Manny Banuelos is supposed to be the next Ron Guidry or Johan Santana...he has nasty stuff. Ivan Nova is already in the rotation and the Yanks will probably need him later. But, Jesus Montero is expendable. With Russell Martin tearing it up in the big leagues, and with other options in the minors at catcher like Austin Romine and Gary Sanchez, I wouldn't mind trading Jesus. Many disagree and I respect that.

Although, a lot of Yankee fans dislike Cashman, he has made some smart non-moves.

• In 2007, he didn't trade for Eric Gagne. The Yankees would have had to trade Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera for a guy who fizzled with the Red Sox after being traded by the Rangers.
  
• After the 2007 season, Cashman didn't trade for Johan Santana. He would have had to package guys like Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, and Melky Cabrera.
  
• In the middle of the 2008 season, Cashman took a pass on trading for then Milwaukee Brewer CC Sabathia.
  
• And finally, after the 2009 season, Cashman decided to pass on trading for Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays.
  

So, we know Cashman has a history of keeping his prospects in potential blockbuster deals. But, don't forget, there was a deal in place that would have sent Jesus Montero among others for Cliff Lee, then a Seattle Mariner. Cashman may or may not pull the trigger on a Banuelos, Betances, Nova, and Montero for King Felix, but based on the recent history of non-moves, I wouldn't expect Cashman to accept that trade. We might have to wait until at least 2012 or even 2015 to see Felix Hernandez in pinstripes. That's how I see it anyway.


--Jesse Schindler, BYB Staff Writer




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