Seattle Mariners Reportedly Nearly Traded Legendary Pitcher Felix Hernandez

An MLB insider and a former executive revealed two separate instances the Mariners nearly dealt the best starting pitcher in franchise history.

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez throws during a game against the Houston Astros on April 13, 2019, at T-Mobile Park. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The 2025 MLB Trade Deadline is set to take place at 3 p.m. PT on July 31. There's already been one blockbuster trade this season, with the Boston Red Sox dealing franchise superstar Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in June. There's been many high-value deals over the years, but the's been even more trades that didn't come to fruition.

Several blockbuster deals that didn't end up happening involved the greatest pitcher in Seattle Mariners history.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers wrote an article going over some of the biggest trades that never were in recent history. One of them was a negotiation between the Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers that would have sent Felix Hernandez to the midwest.

Zack Minasian, who was in the Milwaukee front office from 2004-18, talked about the failed deal which took place when former Brewers executive, Jack Zduriencik, was Seattle's general manager.

"Jack and Doug were talking about a trade that would have sent Felix Hernandez to Milwaukee," Minasian recalled. "At one point, we thought Jack had agreed to it but he needed to make one other move before we could finalize it.
"It didn't happen, but for an hour we thought we were getting Felix Hernandez. We were nervous, anxious, excited and just waiting."

Milwaukee wasn't the only club that nearly acquired Hernandez. Zack Scott, a former front office executive for Boston, made a post on "X" saying that there almost was a three-team deal involving the Mariners, Red Sox and San Diego Padres that would have sent Hernandez to Boston and first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to Seattle.

Interesting to see the King Felix to Mil story as we (Bos) also got close on a 3-team trade with Adrian Gonzalez going from SD to Sea, Felix going to Bos, and prospects (Reddick, Masterson, etc.) going to SD. Jack Z slept on it and then decided he couldn't move the King. https://t.co/vgLMqZd5p9

— Zack Scott (@ZackScottSports) July 7, 2025

Hernandez played 15 seasons with the Mariners from 2005-19. He won the American League Cy Young award in 2010 was a six-time All-Star and pitched the only perfect game in franchise history against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on Aug. 15, 2012.

Hernandez was on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this season and received 20.6% of the vote, which will keep him on the ballot in 2026.

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