In Seattle Mariners news, the team signed Shawn Kelley to another one-year deal in order to avoid arbitration. According to a report from Wednesday night (Jan. 30), Kelley agreed to a salary of $935,000 for the 2013 MLB season. He has a bonus scale built into the contract that could pay him as much as $1.1 million if he remains on the 25-man roster for the full season.
Last season Kelley made $600,000 in his first arbitration year and had asked for a raise to $1.2 million this season. The Mariners countered with a $750,000 offer before the two sides sat down to hash out what his new contract would be worth. From the look of things, both sides got what they wanted, as Kelley must now perform if he wants to remain on the 25-man roster.
Kelley posted a 3.25 ERA over 44 1/3 innings last year while sporting a 2-4 record. He also spent a lot of time at Triple-A Tacoma, where he posted a 0.90 ERA over 20 innings of work. If Kelley can stay healthy this season, it looks like he should have a permanent spot in the Mariners bullpen. That bullpen could be a huge strength for the team, as it is one of the best in Major League Baseball.
While this Seattle Mariners news may appear small, it also marks the end of the four arbitration cases that the team might have had to face. The team agreed to new contracts with Kendrys Morales and Brendan Ryan and then traded John Jaso to the Oakland Athletics to take care of the first three.
More Seattle Mariners News:
Could Mariners Trade Franklin Gutierrez?
Joe Saunders Signing Possible?
Mariners Trade Jason Vargas
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