Mariners won't trade Felix Hernandez

Updated: December 6, 2011, 8:22 AM ET
By Andrew Marchand | ESPNNewYork.com

DALLAS -- Teams like the New York Yankees can dream about trading for Felix Hernandez, but Jack Zduriencik still will not consider dealing his ace.

"Felix is going to be a Mariner, case closed," the Seattle Mariners' general manager told ESPNNewYork.com late Sunday night.

Zduriencik reiterated points he made before the July 31 trade deadline, when he said that he wouldn't deal Hernandez for "12 guys."

Hernandez, 25, has three years remaining on his contract. His salaries make a big leap beginning with the 2012 season. Last season he made $11.7 million. Next season, he will make $18.5 million, followed by $19.5 million in 2013 and $20 million in 2014.

Hernandez went 14-14 with a 3.47 ERA last season. In 2010, he won the Cy Young with a 13-12 record and a 2.27 ERA.

Zduriencik thinks the Mariners have some young pitching that is about to enter the fold behind Hernandez and Michael Pineda, and he wants to see how they develop together.

Hernandez is the type of starter that Yankees GM Brian Cashman might be willing to give up some of his major prospects to acquire. Cashman, who is scheduled to arrive at the winter meetings Monday afternoon, has been hesitant to include any of his top minor league pitchers, such as Manny Banuelos or Dellin Betances, in any trades.

The Yankees have held talks with the White Sox about left-hander John Danks, but Cashman seems disinclined to trade his top-tier prospects for a pitcher who was 8-12 with a 4.33 ERA last season.

Andrew Marchand is a senior writer for ESPNNewYork. He also regularly contributes to SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, ESPNews, 1050 ESPN New York and ESPN Radio. He joined ESPN in 2007 after nine years at the New York Post. Follow Andrew on Twitter »

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