Move over, CC Sabathia and that $161 million contract. Felix Hernandez is, according to USA Today Sports, the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history. Hernandez has opted to stay with the Seattle Mariners for an unbelievable $175 million over seven years. The new deal, which should be finalized before the start of spring training, will kick in this season and give King Felix an annual salary of $25 million.
Aside from making Hernandez a very rich man, this new contract undoubtedly drives up the market for upcoming front-end starting pitchers like Detroit's Justin Verlander and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw after the 2014 season, as well as the Rays' David Price following the 2015 season. So, it's safe to assume that the $25 per year mark for hurlers will likely be surpassed, very, very soon.
RELATED: The 25 Worst Contracts in Sports History
[via ESPN]
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