Small Market Stars

Much talk has been made over Felix Hernandez' love affair with the Seattle Mariners and their fans. Rumors have swirled for the past few years that the small-market M's were going to trade him away for building blocks for the future, but GM Jack Zduriencik has stated repeatedly that the franchise is going to build around King Felix instead.

People can't decide whether to believe Felix when he states that Seattle is the only place he wants to be. He's become a local hero, has his own fan section in left field, the King's Court, and has apparent faith in the Mariners' front office that they will be able to build a winner with reduced payroll. He has promised to return to Seattle after his five-year, $78 million deal is up. But is he sincere, or will he just sign with the Yankees and achieve Alex Rodriguez status at Safeco?

Here are some other small-market franchise icons and their current contract situations.

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates - The NL's leading MVP candidate avoided arbitration years and showed his allegiance to Pittsburgh in signing a six-year, $51.5 million extension in the offseason. The contract includes a club option for 2018, and is the largest deal in the 130-year history of the Pirates. McCutchen has lead the Bucs into relevancy, and put butts in beautiful PNC Park's seats, which will lead to the team expanding on its 26th-ranked $62 million payroll.

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays - As a rookie, Longo originally agreed to a six-year, $17.5 million deal, with club options through 2016 that will push the deal to $44 million. Not bad for a player that has achieved superstar status. The Rays have become perennial playoff contenders, which can be  attributed to GM Andrew Friedman shaping the roster "years and years in advance." He scored big in taking a chance with then 22-year old Longoria, a guy who will be difficult for them to afford come 2016.

Billy Butler, Kansas City Royals - "Country Breakfast" inked a four-year, $30 million deal prior to the 2011 season, which includes a $14.5 million club option for 2015. As exhibited by the Royals' faithful during this season's All-Star festivities (booing Robinson Cano vivaciously for not picking him to represent the AL in the Home Run Derby), he is a hometown hero in KC. Right-handed bats like him (.302/.370/.508, 25 HR, 79 RBI this year) don't come around often, and he will be hotly pursued in a few years if he keeps up his production.

Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies - Tulo is basically a Rockie for life, as he is signed through 2020 in a deal that pays him $157.75 million is this decade. He is the best all-around shortstop in the game, and even while the team struggles with him hurt, he is not going to be traded for pitching prospects that the Rockies desperately need. Same goes for CarGo, who signed a seven-year, $80 millon agreement prior to the 2011 season. While the Rockies have a plethora of issues, keeping their superstars is not among them.

Justin Upton, Arizona Diamondbacks - After such a downhill year and his current situation (which I'll get to), Upton doesn't really qualify in this "face of the franchise" category. An MVP candidate last year, things have gone downhill quickly for the 25-year-old, so much so that he has been placed on waivers. Reports are that he has been claimed by an unknown team, where he could receive a fresh start and another chance at stardom. Arizona might keep him and look to trade him in the offseason, or leave the team that acquires him on the hook for the rest of his six-year, $51.25 million deal.

Top 25 Baseball Players (16-20)

16) Carlos Gonzalez, LF, Colorado Rockies

An MVP runner-up in 2010, Carlos Gonzalez pairs with Troy Tulowitzki as the core duo of the Rockies. While 2010 will likely be a career high in batting average (.336) for CarGo, he will likely remain a .300 hitter for the foreseeable future. Chalk him up for upwards of 25 bombs and 100 RBIs annually, coupled with 20 steals and solid defense, and you've got yourself an elite baseball player.


17) Josh Hamilton, LF, Texas Rangers

He's an extremely talented player, but I'm not much of a fan of Hamilton because of the way he threw third base coach Dave Anderson under the bus after his collision at home plate. Still, he's an excellent player, and I'm sure you've all heard his story by now. What's amazing is how his body is still holding up well, but the longevity of his career could still be put into question.


18) Curtis Granderson, CF, New York Yankees

While Grandy only hit .262 last season, boy did he produce (42 HR, 119 RBI, .552 SLG). He'll never be a tremendous hitter for average, but Kevin Long did a masterful job of restructuring his swing. Granderson plays one of the best center fields in the business: he gets tremendous reads on the ball, has above average speed, and a respectable arm for the position.


19) Prince Fielder, 1B, Detroit Tigers

Prince and Miguel Cabrera are going to be scary next to each other. And when Victor Martinez gets back, whenever that may be, well, the Detroit offense will be a force to be reckoned with. Fielder, now an absurdly rich man thanks to that new contract, simply needs to cut down on weight. Otherwise, at age 35, he won't be able to make it to first base anymore. He should work on fielding the position as well. As for his power? Death and taxes.


20) Jered Weaver, P, Los Angeles Angels

At the conclusion of July of last season, Jered Weaver's ERA sat at 1.88. August and September were a bit more of a challenge, but he still finished with a 2.41 mark and a 1.01 WHIP. It was a season that would have yielded a Cy Young in many previous years. This was a career year for the 29-year-old, but he has turned himself into an ace of spades.

Will be continued tomorrow. And yes, I promise there will be a catcher.