Aardsma’s life took big turn in one year
Unlike 2009, M’s pitcher holds role of clear closer
PEORIA, Ariz. – Everything is so much better this year for Seattle Mariners pitcher David Aardsma, and because of that he vows not to change a thing.
Aardsma has a clearly defined role as the Mariners’ closer, a $2.75 million contract this year and the security that comes with having finally achieved his major league goal.
“I have a contract and I have a job,” Aardsma said Thursday after the M’s first spring training workout. “I’ve never had a job.”
Aardsma’s personal life is just as sweet. Wife Andrea is due to give birth to their first child, a boy, on Father’s Day, and they are moving into a newly purchased home in Phoenix on Tuesday.
It’s so much different than last year at this time, when Aardsma came to the Mariners but had nothing – in a relative sense – after an offseason trade from the Boston Red Sox.
He’d been little more than a journeyman reliever who already had pitched for four teams in a five-year span. But Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and his people liked Aardsma’s powerful right arm, and after the trade they brought him to spring training without a clearly defined role in mind.
Aardsma badly wanted to become the closer, but he went into camp with three things against him – two competitors for that job, Mark Lowe and Tyler Walker, and no saves in his major league career. Walker took himself out of the competition early because of leg problems. Lowe was a definite candidate, but he also had a power arm that seemed perfect for the eighth inning.
After Brandon Morrow’s attempt to close backfired, Aardsma assumed the role and converted 38 of 42 save chances.