Felix Hernandez, Mariners to Talk Extension This Winter

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez has always had the stuff to make opposing hitters and anyone watching him work drop their jaws and say "wow." But he's also had the ability to frustrate with his inconsistency.

All of that has changed in 2009 as the 23-year-old has put together his best season in the major leagues, going 17-5 with a 2.49 ERA and 207 strikeouts.

Now his name is being mentioned as a Cy Young candidate, and the Mariners are elated to think about the fact that Hernandez may get even better in the coming years. Of course, that also means he's going to get more expensive.

That's something Seattle is about to find out, as Hernandez and his agent are expected to start talks with the Mariners about an extension this winter.

In the weeks ahead, his agent, Alan Nero, will meet with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik to explore a deal that will keep Hernandez in Seattle for years.

"There's no urgency on this," Nero said Monday, an off-day for the Mariners ahead of Hernandez's start tonight against Oakland. "Much to the dismay of a lot of people and despite what some want to believe, he's still under contract [for two years after this season]. So, there really is no urgency on this. It's not like all of a sudden he's going to be able to jump to another team if something doesn't get done. Nothing changes."

While there is no need to get an extension done this winter, with Hernandez under team control for two more years, the Mariners have to wonder if it would be better to give Hernandez the deal now. Essentially, the longer the team waits the more expensive Hernandez could become.

So is it better to sign him to an extension now, or wait it out to make sure he continues making progress in 2010?

It's not an easy decision for Zduriencik to make, but in my opinion I think it makes more sense to sign him to the extension now. Not only will the Mariners save themselves some money, but if the team is out of contention in the years to come and decides it might be best to move Hernandez in a trade -- and there were trade talks surrounding Felix this season -- he'll have even more value considering he's under contract.