Felix to skip WBC with Venezuela

Felix Hernandez said he won't pitch for Venezuela in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

The Seattle Mariners ace said in an interview with the Venezuelan sports newspaper Lider that it was a difficult decision to sit out. But he said he should think of his future and denied being influenced by any type of pressure from the Mariners.

Hernandez and the Mariners are working on a $175 million, seven-year contract that would make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball.

* Third baseman Chone Figgins signed a minor-league contract with the Miami Marlins with an invitation to their major-league camp beginning next week.

Figgins hit .181 in 66 games with Seattle last season. He's a .277 career hitter with 337 stolen bases in 11 seasons, all in the American League.

* The Arizona Diamondbacks and Aaron Hill reached a deal that will keep him under contract through the 2016 season.

The deal adds three years and $35 million to his existing deal, which pays him $5.5 million this year. That means the overall contract is worth $40.5 million over the next four years.