Lookout Landing

Personally, I've been all smiles ever since news first broke that Felix was signing, so I can't offer you much of a meaningful summary of today's events. As soon as I hear Felix say "I just want to win here" I'm like butter in the oven. Fortunately, the local media's pretty super, so if you want to read about the press conference, check out the posts from Baker, Drayer, and Divish. Each of them was somehow able to maintain some semblance of professionalism, which is beyond my means.

The most interesting bit, aside from the actual extension, has to be the front office comparison in Baker's post:

Hernandez's agent, Wil Polidor, was asked whether the change in regimes from Bill Bavasi to Jack Zduriencik made much of a difference when it came to getting this deal done. Polidor vigorously nodded his head and said it did indeed make quite a difference.
...

"They realized that they had to sign this ace,'' Polidor said. "And they tried to sign him.''

The implication being that nobody really wanted Hernandez locked up long-term beforehand.

I've mentioned this a few times before...

Felix is open to re-signing with this team. He's always been open to it. I don't know why, mind you, but I'm not making this up. Bavasi just passed him lowball after lowball until negotiations eventually came to an unspoken halt.

It's a situation that could've been avoided had the team earlier signed him to an extension, but as much as Bavasi liked to say "it takes two to tango" (implying that he was open to an extension but Felix was not), the blame for this shouldn't fall on Felix's camp. Felix has always been open to signing an extension with the Mariners. Always. And Bavasi approached him and his agent on a handful of occasions. Bavasi, however, lowballed him with offers to buy out his arbitration years and get options for his first few years of free agency. It would be one thing if Felix turned down reasonable contracts, but Bavasi got frustrated because Felix wouldn't sign for pennies on the dollar. Don't get mad at Felix. Every player deserves the right to a fair contract. It's Bavasi's fault our ace never got one.

...but now you get what is, for all intents and purposes, confirmation from one of Felix's agents, who's probably a better source on the matter. Confirmation that, while Bavasi always said "it takes two to tango" when confronted with questions about Felix's future, it was the front office - not the player - holding everything back. Felix's side was always open. Bavasi's side never took things seriously.

I cannot believe that administration didn't kill us.