How much longer does Felix have left?

[seahawksfan234]

I'm posting this thread because I believe Felix's ERA and stats from his first two starts are somewhat misleading.

He tailed off at the end of the season last year, and once again his velocity is down across the board. In addition, it has been a small sample but his walk rate is up and he's not throwing as many strikes as he has in previous years.

I love Felix to death, and I'm always the first person to argue that he is not on the downside of his career, and I have never once argued that we should trade him. But I'm starting to wonder if he has hit his peak and will start to go downhill.

I think it could be in the Mariners best interest to trade him now while he is still considered an ace and putting up the ERA he is capable of. I think there is a strong possibility that he once again implodes near the end of the season, and next year continues to regress.

It's in the Mariners best interest to move him while he is still perceived as an ace. The move can bring in some prospects and would clear $26.8m in payroll next year.

I really hope I'm wrong and that he continues being dominant, but the signs of age and the insane amount of innings he has thrown are beginning to show.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I wanted to trade him and Cruz last year honestly....

Love Felix and Cruz is probably the only relevant free agent signing in forever.... but this team needs prospects and they have zero of it.

 

[NWinAZ]

Why would they trade their best fan draws? You both are talking about winning and ownership/management is talking profit. Two different languages.

 

[Anointed One]

Why would they trade their best fan draws? You both are talking about winning and ownership/management is talking profit. Two different languages.

Yep... The only games we sell out 90-plus% is when Felix pitches... As long as Felix is filling the ball park, he won't be traded... He's the face of our franchise... It's not our money that we've invested, it's the owners... At this point, Felix is the main reason they're getting a steady stream of revenue and a return on their investment.... Sad, us fans deserve better than 15 straight years of losing... But as long as we go out to the ballpark when Felix pitches, he won't be traded... I just dropped over $500 for myself and my family at Safeco this weekend when Felix pitched... I'm part of the problem...

 

[PolarVortex]

I'm posting this thread because I believe Felix's ERA and stats from his first two starts are somewhat misleading.

He tailed off at the end of the season last year, and once again his velocity is down across the board. In addition, it has been a small sample but his walk rate is up and he's not throwing as many strikes as he has in previous years.

I love Felix to death, and I'm always the first person to argue that he is not on the downside of his career, and I have never once argued that we should trade him. But I'm starting to wonder if he has hit his peak and will start to go downhill.

I think it could be in the Mariners best interest to trade him now while he is still considered an ace and putting up the ERA he is capable of. I think there is a strong possibility that he once again implodes near the end of the season, and next year continues to regress.

It's in the Mariners best interest to move him while he is still perceived as an ace. The move can bring in some prospects and would clear $26.8m in payroll next year.

I really hope I'm wrong and that he continues being dominant, but the signs of age and the insane amount of innings he has thrown are beginning to show.

As long as he has arm health, it won't matter if he is at a point in his career where he is steadily losing mph on his fastball. His outpitches are his changeup and curve anyway. As long as he continues to separate a few mph between his fastball and changeup, he'll remain effective.

Felix may be blessed one of those bionic arms and elbows. Most pitchers with his mileage would have had at least one major pitching arm injury by now. His late season fades are probably more of a reflection of conditioning. He shouldn't be fading down the stretch if he is sticking to a conditioning plan throughout the season.

 

[PolarVortex]

Why would they trade their best fan draws? You both are talking about winning and ownership/management is talking profit. Two different languages.

Felix won't get traded. He's going to be here until he is done. Cano won't get traded because his contract is untradeable unless they are willing to eat about $80-100 million.

I think Cruz gets traded this summer if the team is clearly out of it in June. Cruz has a very marketable contract and he isn't a Dipoto guy.

 

[unlvmariners]

I'm posting this thread because I believe Felix's ERA and stats from his first two starts are somewhat misleading.

He tailed off at the end of the season last year, and once again his velocity is down across the board. In addition, it has been a small sample but his walk rate is up and he's not throwing as many strikes as he has in previous years.

I love Felix to death, and I'm always the first person to argue that he is not on the downside of his career, and I have never once argued that we should trade him. But I'm starting to wonder if he has hit his peak and will start to go downhill.

I think it could be in the Mariners best interest to trade him now while he is still considered an ace and putting up the ERA he is capable of. I think there is a strong possibility that he once again implodes near the end of the season, and next year continues to regress.

It's in the Mariners best interest to move him while he is still perceived as an ace. The move can bring in some prospects and would clear $26.8m in payroll next year.

I really hope I'm wrong and that he continues being dominant, but the signs of age and the insane amount of innings he has thrown are beginning to show.

I would say Felix has peaked and should start to decline. That doesn't mean he won't still be a very good ptcher for a few more seasons but probably not his Cy Young type years.

I don't see him being traded unless he asked to be on a playoff team.

 

[mcnabb7542]

I don't know maybe if the guy got some run support, his stats wouldn't look so low.....

He might have lost some speed off his fastball but his out pitch's still make batters look foolish, trade the face of the franchise, and guy that actually loves being here, would the final nail in the coffin for these owners and front office, fans would give them the finger and no longer draw 25,000 people win he pitches every fifth day...

 

[EVille3]

Pitchers re-invent themselves constantly. Velocity isn't the end all be all. Perhaps Felix transforms into a Maddux/Moyer pitcher in his mid 30s. Lower velocity but painting edges and great movement.

 

[NWinAZ]

Pitchers re-invent themselves constantly. Velocity isn't the end all be all. Perhaps Felix transforms into a Maddux/Moyer pitcher in his mid 30s. Lower velocity but painting edges and great movement.

Or like Bedard.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Yep... The only games we sell out 90-plus% is when Felix pitches... As long as Felix is filling the ball park, he won't be traded... He's the face of our franchise... It's not our money that we've invested, it's the owners... At this point, Felix is the main reason they're getting a steady stream of revenue and a return on their investment.... Sad, us fans deserve better than 15 straight years of losing... But as long as we go out to the ballpark when Felix pitches, he won't be traded... I just dropped over $500 for myself and my family at Safeco this weekend when Felix pitched... I'm part of the problem...

I was at the same game. Can't believe my fucking beer cost more than my ticket did.

 

[seahawksfan234]

Or like Bedard.

Ironically, Erik Bedard was one of my favorite pitchers to watch. His curveball was so nasty.

 

[DunceKaep]

Felix won't get traded. He's going to be here until he is done. Cano won't get traded because his contract is untradeable unless they are willing to eat about $80-100 million.

I think Cruz gets traded this summer if the team is clearly out of it in June. Cruz has a very marketable contract and he isn't a Dipoto guy.

Felix, Cano, and Cruz:

Felix, I agree won't get traded because he is still very good, and he is a money maker for the M's.
Cano, I agree has an untradeable contract, unless a MAJOR market is close to the playoffs and needs a 2B for a playoff push, and this better HAPPEN soon, or it ain't gonna happen ever. SOON, means this year.
Cruz, same situation as Cano, but not as huge of a contract, so more tradeable, like THIS year.

 

[NWinAZ]

Ironically, Erik Bedard was one of my favorite pitchers to watch. His curveball was so nasty.

You must mean before the 6th inning because...well..we never saw him after the 5th.

 

[Anointed One]

I can easily see Cruz being traded... We're in a tough division - no way we're going to sniff the playoffs... I'm hoping there will be a market for Cano but it's highly unlikely that he'll be traded w/ the high salary he has on the books... He has no sense of urgency imo... He's not the difference maker for us we thought he'd be when we traded for him... He thinks he's now a HR now...

 

[johnson]

I'm posting this thread because I believe Felix's ERA and stats from his first two starts are somewhat misleading.

He tailed off at the end of the season last year, and once again his velocity is down across the board. In addition, it has been a small sample but his walk rate is up and he's not throwing as many strikes as he has in previous years.

I love Felix to death, and I'm always the first person to argue that he is not on the downside of his career, and I have never once argued that we should trade him. But I'm starting to wonder if he has hit his peak and will start to go downhill.

I think it could be in the Mariners best interest to trade him now while he is still considered an ace and putting up the ERA he is capable of. I think there is a strong possibility that he once again implodes near the end of the season, and next year continues to regress.

It's in the Mariners best interest to move him while he is still perceived as an ace. The move can bring in some prospects and would clear $26.8m in payroll next year.

I really hope I'm wrong and that he continues being dominant, but the signs of age and the insane amount of innings he has thrown are beginning to show.

Felix probably has 5 dominant to really good years left in him. He opened the season with a 1-hitter (and as has happened countless times when he does this...lost) and has looked pretty good. If I recall, he had two horrendous games toward the end of last year (gave up like 9 runs in 2 innings type stuff) that inflated his ERA/WHIP, masking another otherwise pretty typical Ace season.

The King is the face of the franchise. He's one of those guys you have to love because he's so devoted to his team and never cared about Yankee money (not that he didn't get paid well in SEA).

At some point, Seattle will be in a Roy Halladay type situation like the Blue Jays were and perhaps have to trade him while he still has a few big years left. I just don't think that's anytime soon.

 

[seahawksfan234]

6 walks in 5 innings today.

 

[EVille3]

he is getting ahead of hitters and trying to get them to chase out of the zone. needs to improve boarderline pitches and make them swing at them to weak contact more than Ks

 

[SteelersPride]

as long as felix wants, hes superhuman, just saying

 

[Anointed One]

2 years tops to be considered an ace... He's getting up there in innings, wear and tear and not sure how much longer his body can get him thru a full seasons w/out having to deal with injuries...