7:09pm: Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports (on Twitter) that any incentives Aardsma earns in 2012 will increase the base salary of his 2013 option by the same amount.
11:21am: The Yankees have signed 30-year-old right-hander David Aardsma, the team announced. It's a Major League deal worth $500K that includes a club option for 2013. The deal includes $500K in incentives and the 2012 option is worth $500K, Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times tweets. Aardsma underwent Tommy John surgery last July and won't be ready to contribute until midway through the 2012 campaign.
Aardsma last pitched in the Major Leagues in 2010, when he saved 31 games as the Mariners' closer, posting a 3.44 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 4.5 BB/9 in 49 2/3 innings. He has a 4.20 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 5.0 BB/9 in parts of six MLB seasons.
MLB.com's Bryan Hoch and Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News first reported the deal.
BillR
nice signing i liked him in Seattle
GriffeyandSizemore
They signed Chavez yesterday.
Chris
aardsma is a good signing. he could help the bullpen out when he comes back. even if it is in july. and could very well be the closer when mo retires.
vinniemiller
Okay calm down with that “closer when mo retires” statement….
Shane Heathers
I’m a Red Sox Fan but you need to stop disrespecting Rivera like that. Closing in that canyon Safeco is one thing. For one he just had Tommy John. Second he would get pounded with that short right field porch at Yankee Stadium. You Don’t want him closing games.
gmenfan 2
Exactly – he benefited greatly from pitching at SafeCo in his last season in the Majors.
SafeCo: 2.06 ERA, 1.057 WHIP, 0.26 HR/9
Away: 6.75 ERA, 1.432 WHIP, 2.57 HR/9
Even so, decent arm that should be a nice, cheap middle inning addition to the pen in NY. Replacing River though, lets hold come back down to Earth a little there.
Encarnacion's Parrot
Machines don’t retire.
redsx968
but arrow in the knee jokes do.
Encarnacion's Parrot
I was going to make a joke about chicken and beer, but then I took an arrow in the knee.
redsx968
…well played mauer…
BillR
haha you’ll notice how i changed my post due to my lapse in not seeing that….
diesel2410
A major league deal? Really?
Shane Davison
Why not? He’ll be on the DL, not taking up a roster spot.
donna rothwell
Exactly, he will be on the 60 day DL so he won’t count until he is ready and the money is so cheap. How does NYY always get great veterans for nothing. I guess the chase for a ring answers that question.
Ray R
Interesting move…I kind of like it. Would have like it more if it were a MiLB deal, but provides some depth.
Roy-Z
No one else wanted to take this chance? Really?
gmenfan 2
Agree completely. If you can snag another club’s closer and put him the middle of your bullpen for $500K, seems like a no-brainer move that many clubs could have taken advantage of.
captainjeter
not sure whether this is a good signing. Better if he had signed a minor league deal
yg49
He is on the DL so it won’t cost a roster spot, it’s basically the same thing.
YanksFanSince78
it’s the same thing now but when he’s off the dl and does his rehab then a clock ticks so if he’s ready to perform or not it sort of pushes their hand as opposed to a milb deal where they can take their time with him.
raffish
Even if Aardsma returns to peak form you have to be worried about those fly ball tendencies. {explosion noise}
MB923
It’s crazy how his groundball ratio in 2010 was at a very very low 25.3%, but his HR/FB ratio was also at a very low 4.2%. 1 year later, his Groundball ratio went up 10% but his HR/FB ratio went up 5%
m4r1n3r
Indeed. Lot’s of Aardsma’s outs came at the warning track in Seattle. Those will be out the house at Yankee Stadium
MetsMagic
Not a bad signing. Safeco masked his extreme flyball tendencies but a swing and miss guy who sits at 95 MPH and has a good slider is worth taking a flier on, especially if it won’t take up roster space.
Randy
As a Mariner fan…I think he might get eaten up in NY. he mainly throws fastballs that can stay in Safeco Field..they aren’t staying in in NY. good luck though!
j6takish
I’m more amazed that the 2010 Mariners had 31 save opportunities
raffish
Mike Williams, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2002.
K-Hopp
If you never score more than 3 runs, every single game you win had a save opportunity.
Johnny S.
Great signing , If Soriano looks like he did last year, Aardsma could be just the guy to shine in the closer spot if Mo retires
ARod's Ring
“Aardsma could be just the guy to shine in the closer spot if Mo retires.”
Please, stop this madness.
Johnny S.
Soriano is a proven Closer, but so was Aardsma when healthy, so its not really a stretch
raffish
not a stretch in another stadium.
Johnny S.
on less your referring to Mo not retiring, then thats a cute thought
chris_synan1
Ya, this is the same type of move the Red Sox make and then Yankees fans harp on us
JerseyJohn32190
You mean what everyone was doing when the Yankees signed Colon and Garcia last year?
boomer1344
well sox fans need to be harped upon. besides, they have done this in the past and it works about half the time
YanksFanSince78
more like that was the reverse.
redsx968
Haha yea. I was gonna say. What move is he talking about? I love the Sox and hate the Yankees, but the fact is that Sox fans are far more obnoxious to Yanks fans than the other way around
Tko11
Having lived in New York and being a Red Sox fan Id have to disagree.
c7cxk
Living in Maine for the past 17 years and being a Yankees Fan, Id have to disagree.
Tko11
How about we take this outside -_-
JacobyWanKenobi
Cash said this was more of a signing for ’13 than ’12.
pennypincher
I still hope in the unfortunate event that this is Mo’s last year, DRob or Soriano would close, not Aardsma. He’s a solid guy, but I just prefer DRob and Soriano over him.
Nimphiusforever
I want to wish David Aardsma good health and the best of luck with the Yanks. My son was a very young baseball fan, lucky enough to get to Wrigley Field. Aardsma was kind enough to give him a ball during batting practice, before the Cubs and Phils squared off. That was a good time in Chicago.
AndreTheGiantKiller
If I get TJ surgery, I wonder if the Yanks would pay me half a million to sit on the DL?
pennypincher
If your name was Carl Pavano they’d pay you about 30 million to sit on the DL for three years.
julianAlmighty
How much more White Sox pitching can the Yankees possibly sign?
pennypincher
We can reacquire Contreras and convince El Duque and Vazquez out of retirement 😉
julianAlmighty
Don’t forget other classics such as Damaso Marte, Luis Vizcaino, and Bartolo.
Lucas Kschischang
Well he can’t be any worse than Burnett!
Tyler Mesec
this makes sense. if aardsma can make a full recover and throw well at the midpoint of the season, watch for soriano to be on the move if the yanks need someone due to injury or struggles. then the next season will be robertson closing, aardsma set up man, joba in the 7th. still have boone logan, feliciano healthy(?) strong pen.
anthony88
Aardsma and VandenHurk? the MLB is being very dutch today..