The Seattle Mariners are accepting the reality that longtime ace Felix Hernandez is no longer the pitcher that he once was.
On Tuesday, Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto said the former Cy Young winner will need to be “managed differently” to get him through the season and hinted at pitch counts, skipped starts, and the like, per local writer Shannon Drayer.
Dipoto says Felix will need to be managed differently to get him through 30 starts. Pitch counts etc.
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) October 3, 2017
Dipoto believes Felix is doing everything he can in offseason but may also need down time or a skipped start. His issues are not going away.
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) October 3, 2017
The 31-year-old Hernandez was bitten by the injury bug in 2017, making just 16 starts and posting an uncharacteristic 4.36 ERA and 1.29 WHIP. He’s owed $53 million over the next two seasons with a $1 million club option for 2020.
The health issues Hernandez dealt with during the year were concerning, and it seems that his days as a No. 1 starter are all but over. Thus, Seattle would be smart to better manage the six-time All-Star’s workload beginning in 2018.
