According to a report by the Seattle Times’ Geoff Baker, the Mariners declined an offer from the Red Sox that would have sent starter Felix Hernandez to Boston in exchange for five prospects.

After the Mariners squashed that deal, the Red Sox got the Padres involved and the three clubs discussed a trade that would have sent slugger Adrian Gonzalez to Seattle, King Felix to Boston and Brandon Marrow, Phillippe Aumont and Carlos Triunfel to San Diego. But in the end, the Mariners backed out of that trade proposal as well.

…The Mariners apparently nixed it, feeling it would not benefit them in the long-term. Boston then turned around and dealt Masterson and Hagadone to the Indians for catcher Victor Martinez.

From what I’m hearing, the Mariners didn’t think any of the packages they were being offered would go down much in substance over the next 12 months, when they’d only have another year-plus of Hernandez under control. Why give up the extra year, their reasoning went, if they could still get a similar offer at the 2010 deadline?

Getting Gonzo would have been outstanding for an offensively challenged club like the Mariners, but in the end I think Seattle would have given up too much.

Losing Hernandez (a top 5 pitcher) would have been crippling enough, but throwing in Aumont (a pitcher with front-of-the rotation stuff) and Triunfel (a top 50 infield prospect) in addition would have definitely taken a big chunk out of the M’s future. (One could debate whether or not trading Morrow would be a significant loss in the end.)

While adding Gonzo to their lineup would have been excellent, I think Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik made the right decision in passing on this deal.