Mariners rumors: Felix Hernandez offered four-year, $100 million deal?

The Seattle Mariners are continuing their extension talks with ace right-hander Felix Hernandez and it is now believed that a four-year, $100 million offer may be on the table, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

The next big contract in baseball? It could go to Felix Hernandez.

The Seattle Mariners continue to talk to Hernandez about an extension, according to major-league sources. And while no deal is close, the Mariners are at least weighing a four-year, $100 million proposal, sources said.

Rosenthal adds that it is not known whether the M's have actually extended the $100 million offer to Hernandez, but that they remain engaged nevertheless. One of Rosenthal's sources described the two sides as "dancing," meaning that they have yet to engage deeply in talks as of yet.

If the Mariners have indeed offered King Felix a four-year, $100 million extension, that would give Hernandez $139.5 million over the next six years when added to the remaining two years on his current contract. That deal would be right in line with, but slightly less than the biggest recent deals for right-handed aces: six years, $147 million for Zack Greinke; six years, $144 million for Cole Hamels.

Hernandez, not yet 27, is the youngest pitcher of the bunch so he may end up commanding the most money in an extension.

The 2010 AL Cy Young winner owns a career 3.22 ERA and 3.10 K/BB ratio in eight big-league seasons, averaging 219 innings each of the last seven.