End-Of-October Felix Update

by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 30, 2009 4:09 PM PDT in Seattle Mariners News, Regular

Still no contact between parties. Not that there's a set window to this, and we were told that they'd only sit down and try to hammer something out somewhere within a span of several weeks, but when Alan Nero said there's "no urgency," he wasn't kidding.

I'm not concerned that the Mariners are somehow undervaluing their star pitcher, or that they don't much care to keep him around. Nobody is more aware of how good Felix is than the people who employ him. Thought it might be a new front office, it's a new front office that's been around long enough to see Felix pitch like a legitimate ace at the age of 23. They get it. They know how to recognize a good talent, a good WAR, or a good repertoire when they see it, and they know what the package is worth.

No, the reason I'm concerned is that this is just the latest bit of evidence to the suggestion that the new M's have done little to foster a connection with their stud. Sometimes it's not enough to want a guy to stick around. Sometimes you have to let the player know how important he is and how highly he's valued. You know how, even in the most committed relationships, it's better to say "I love you" too much than too little? This is kind of like that. Felix knows that he might be the face of the franchise, but he could be the face of a lot of franchises, and to date the M's haven't done enough to make themselves more than just one of 30 teams. They're the organization with which he signed and the organization with which he blossomed, but they haven't worked to strengthen that bond, and it's hard to expect someone to be loyal to you when you've given little indication that you're loyal to him.

Sometime before too long, the Mariners and Nero will sit down, and the M's will present what they feel is a fair and competitive contract extension. Of that there's no doubt in my mind. I just wonder what effect all this is going to have. It may not mean anything. Nero's an agent and both he and Felix understand that, more than anything else, baseball's a business. If presented with a good offer, they may jump at the chance to get Felix his money. It's just that...generally speaking, you want both sides in a negotiation to be in a positive state of mind, and to be honest, I'd understand if Felix is feeling a little bit bitter.

This whole situation just sucks.

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Comments

Jack needs to give Felix...

a personal fluffer

by basebliman on Oct 30, 2009 4:21 PM PDT reply actions

I can be that man.

I was at Shea for the Felix-Slam!
Personal M's record: 5-4.

by EnglishMariner on Oct 30, 2009 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Robert would like to have a word with you.

He’s out through the back door.

Say it with me: Washington Capitals. Capitals.
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Oct 31, 2009 5:00 AM PDT up reply actions

Don't teams normally hold off on big announcements until after the playoffs?

That might be why it’s so quiet.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Oct 30, 2009 4:23 PM PDT reply actions

They should still be talking to Felix

Apparently they’re not

by Graham MacAree on Oct 30, 2009 4:26 PM PDT up reply actions

I will stab.

by royalcurve on Oct 30, 2009 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions

how exactly do we know that?

this front office is pretty tight lipped

by basebliman on Oct 30, 2009 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah but there are insiders who have some access to what the organization is doing behind the scenes that provide this information

And them not hearing a peep so far is not really a good sign that the org is pursuing this with as much vigor as they should be (in my view at least).

by OlSalty on Oct 30, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Two parties are involved in these talks

by Graham MacAree on Oct 31, 2009 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions

I just don't understand

why they wouldn’t be doing everything they can to communicate with Felix right now. It may not be urgent to Nero, but it should be pretty damn urgent to the M’s.

by stupidquestions on Oct 30, 2009 4:32 PM PDT reply actions

I think it's business as usual.

At this time last year, Jack wasn’t making any deals either.

by Janic on Oct 30, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions

This time last year, Jack had been in charge for about 7 days.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Oct 30, 2009 5:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Jeff and I disagree about how important this is, I think

I don’t think it matters. I’m not even sure that developing a loving relationship between team and player is a good idea – it certainly makes it seem like much more of a betrayal when you decide it finally is time to move on, and with 99.9% of all players, there is certainly a time to move on at some point in their career.

Would Felix maybe be 0.001% more likely to re-sign if Jack were sending him hug-o-grams everyday? Maybe. And maybe other players would be 0.001% less likely to sign here after they saw the way that Raul Ibanez was low-balled and replaced with a fourth outfielder, but we all think that was handled the right way, I’d imagine.

In the end, if the M’s offer him enough money, he’ll sign. If they don’t, he won’t. And how many times Jack called in October just won’t really matter.

by davidcameron on Oct 30, 2009 6:39 PM PDT reply actions

Wow. THE dave cameron crossing over...

You’re making me cry here. But, in many ways, you’re right.

But also, in many ways, I don’t want you to be.

by sirbrianwilson on Oct 30, 2009 7:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Really? I definitely want him to be right.

Because if he is, then this not-talking-to-Felix stuff isn’t anything to worry about. And I love the combination of “Felix” and “isn’t anything to worry about.”

by stupidquestions on Oct 30, 2009 7:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Dave comes here sometimes to get away from the morons who post on Fangraphs.

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Oct 30, 2009 8:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, it's not that rare to see Dave here.

Now, seeing DMZ post on LL, that’s a much rarer thing.

Fuck the Angels! And the Yankees and Red Sox while we're at it.

by urchman on Oct 31, 2009 6:32 AM PDT up reply actions

There is that other little thing, a World Series ring, that all ace pitchers would like to have

to mark their careers. When it comes time to become a FA, they take that in to consideration to try to sign with a competitive team that makes it into the post season and has a chance at winning a WS. It is one thing rich ball players can’t buy with all that money.

The 2009 Pregame Picks Winner and Iron Man of Halos Heaven.com

by 44FAN on Oct 30, 2009 7:48 PM PDT up reply actions

Like why A-Rod signed with Texas

Unless players are in the twilight of their careers and want to win a WS on the way out, $$ trumps pretty much everything else.

by CMC_Stags on Oct 30, 2009 9:39 PM PDT up reply actions

I waver back and forth on whether or not it really matters

Where I think we’d see it manifest is in the money. Failure to develop a stronger bond will make Felix less likely to settle for a lower price. Which, in return, reduces the probability of his re-signing, even if only by a little bit.

It’s not a huge factor, but in this particular case, I do believe it’s a factor.

by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 31, 2009 1:46 AM PDT up reply actions

Maybe there is just no realistic chance that he settles for a lower price and the front office knows it?

They may not have had serious contract discussions with him yet, but maybe they have some idea of the ballpark offer he is looking for and they either commit to paying a lot for him now or wait to see if a trade offer materializes that they feel would be more beneficial for the team in the long-run than committing to that ballpark figure, one that is better than those already offered.

That’s my crazy conspiracy theory.

by OlSalty on Oct 31, 2009 2:06 AM PDT up reply actions

Reading it again this doesn't make a whole lot of sense

So I’ll just say that I want Felix signed and I want him signed as soon as humanly possible and I don’t much like periods of time going by where he is not signed.

by OlSalty on Oct 31, 2009 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions

Correct me if I am wrong

but didn’t Felix take the Mariners lower offer instead of the Yankees or Braves because he felt like they respected him and cultivated their relationship with him better than the other teams?

by Robert on Oct 31, 2009 8:55 AM PDT up reply actions

As reported by Larry Stone

that’s what Hernandez said.

I tend to think a minority of players care about their clubhouse/their fanbase/how they like their team etc, a larger number care about being on a competitive team, and the majority care about money first. Whichever category Felix falls into I don’t think there’s that much harm in cultivating a good atmosphere.

by ChristopherA on Oct 31, 2009 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions

Beltre too paid lip service to signing with the Ms over the Dodgers because, in part,

of how he felt wanted by Seattle. And in turn, A-Rod has mentioned how he felt the Ms never acted like they cared about him after 2000.

Just PR fluff? Maybe.

by Matthew on Oct 31, 2009 10:15 AM PDT up reply actions

Maybe Felix isn't a robot like you, Dave.

Maybe he wants a little lovin’ now and then. You ever think about that?

But maybe it doesn’t have to come from Jack and Co. Maybe we, as fans, should each buy Felix a nice bouquet of flowers and a teddy bear and send it to him. I think he’d like that, and it’d probably help him feel appreciated.

Say it with me: Washington Capitals. Capitals.
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Oct 31, 2009 5:03 AM PDT up reply actions

Obviously Dave has Lost That Lovin' Feeling.

You got slurved!

by Slurvey on Oct 31, 2009 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Aw, come on!

I hate it when he does that.

Say it with me: Washington Capitals. Capitals.
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Oct 31, 2009 11:31 AM PDT up reply actions

Soundtrack for the offseason:

“Never can say goodbye” by Jackson 5. I got it blasting now with my fingers crossed…

by sirbrianwilson on Oct 30, 2009 7:02 PM PDT reply actions

.

by seattlebruin on Oct 30, 2009 9:12 PM PDT reply actions

Even after reading this post, it hasn't occurred to me that I should be concerned in the least bit. Something great will come out of this

I’m waiting for the cavalry, which will be coming directly This is what I think of when I think of Zduriencik these days.

by Kermit. on Oct 30, 2009 9:41 PM PDT reply actions

I dont think it means much that we havent heard any news about a felix deal.

I doubt they would announce this kind of thing during the World Series anyway. And I trust Zduriencik, he is not goign to screw this up in any way.

by ARock on Oct 30, 2009 11:05 PM PDT reply actions

This post was about that the M's haven't contacted Felix, not that they haven't signed him

by seattlebruin on Oct 31, 2009 2:51 AM PDT up reply actions

How do we actually know that they havent contacted him?

by ARock on Oct 31, 2009 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions

You'll have to trust Jeff on that.

by Matthew on Oct 31, 2009 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions

You do realize that preparing us for if he is traded isn't going to prevent the apocaLLyspe from occuring if it happens right?

FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS! FUCK THE ANGELS!

by Goose on Oct 30, 2009 11:18 PM PDT reply actions

We've survived the trading away of several icons so ultimately this shouldn't be too different

by Poochie on Oct 30, 2009 11:56 PM PDT up reply actions

We were happy when Betancourt got traded

by seattlebruin on Oct 31, 2009 2:52 AM PDT up reply actions

If Betancourt was an icon, then he was a green frowny face with its tongue sticking out.

Say it with me: Washington Capitals. Capitals.
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Oct 31, 2009 5:06 AM PDT up reply actions

If he is traded, it'll all depend on what we get for him.

If we get enough, I’ll be happy. He is my 2nd favorite mariner right now (after Guti), but I’d rather have a playoff team than have any particular player.

by ARock on Oct 31, 2009 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions

Are we guessing how Felix feels or do we actually know?

by ThundaPC on Oct 31, 2009 10:36 AM PDT reply actions

I don't like to post guesses

by Jeff Sullivan on Oct 31, 2009 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions

: *< (

by OlSalty on Oct 31, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions

After waiting on pins and needles for months on end during the '07-'08 offseason to see what would become of Adam Jones and Erik Bedard

I’m resigned to accepting that whatever happens, happens. If Felix returns with a huge contract, I’m thrilled that we get to keep him. If he’s shipped to Boston for a boatload of prospects, then great; I’m sure whatever return we get will be exciting.

by katal on Oct 31, 2009 12:39 PM PDT reply actions

The only good thing about this is that

if Felix doesn’t resign, he’s still got long enough with the team to make packages for him START at what the Phillies offered for Halladay and hopefully get enough bidding on him to maybe get the moon for him on a three-team deal that gets the Mariners a boatload of prospects from TWO teams.

by Craig341 on Oct 31, 2009 2:18 PM PDT reply actions