Major League Baseball

Source: Felix, M's close to $175M deal

Published Feb. 7, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

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With an imminent stroke of Felix Hernandez's pen, the persistent trade rumors surrounding him will come to a very expensive end.

Hernandez, 26, and the Seattle Mariners are close to announcing a seven-year, $175 million contract extension, a major-league source confirmed to FOXSports.com. A separate source said an agreement is in place pending the outcome of a physical exam.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported the news. The contract will supersede Hernandez's prior agreement with the Mariners, which had two seasons remaining.

The deal will establish a record for the largest pitching contract in baseball history.

Hernandez, the 2010 American League Cy Young Award winner, is coming off a season in which he went 13-9 with a 3.06 ERA in 33 starts. He has spent his entire professional career with the Mariners.

Now the contractual intrigue around baseball will focus on the top remaining pitchers in the 2014-2015 free agent class: Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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