Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik continues to be busy making moves. After signing Erik Bedard and Aaron Heilman to one-year deals to avoid arbitration, Zdruiencik also announced that the Mariners have acquired right-handed reliever David Aardsma from the Boston Red Sox in return for minor league left-handed pitcher Fabian Williamson.

Aardsma was immediately placed on the 40-man roster giving the Mariners a full 40.

"Adding David to our roster gives us another quality bullpen arm," Zduriencik said in a press release.. "He has over three years of Major League experience and is a former first-round draft pick. We are excited to give him the opportunity to help bolster our bullpen."

Aardsma appeared in a career-high 47 games last season with the Red Sox. He finished 4-2 with a 5.55 ERA (30 ER, 48.2 IP), averaging 9.06 strikeouts per 9.0 innings (49 K, 48.2 IP). He also missed some time during the season with two stints on the disabled list, July 20-Aug. 8 and Aug. 24-Sept. 10 with a strained right groin. The Red Sox had to designate him for assignment a few days back when the re-signed free agent outfielder/first baseman Mark Kotsay.

This will be his seventh professional season, Aardsma has compiled a career 10-3 record with a 5.29 ERA (85 ER, 144.2 IP) in 128 games (all in relief) with San Francisco (2004), Chicago Cubs (2006), Chicago White Sox (2007) and Boston (2008).

Aardsma played collegiately at Rice and was a first round pick of the SF Giants (No. 22 overall) in the 2003 draft.

His other claim to fame is that he is listed as the first player in the baseball encyclopedia moving ahead of Hank Aaron.

As for the guy the Mariners gave up. Williamson is a 20-years-old and was taken in the 22nd round of the 2006 draft. He went 4-3 with a 4.10 ERA (24 ER, 52.2 IP) in 11 starts for the Pulaski Mariners (short-season A) last season.

The Mariners' final player eligible for arbitration was signed today. Pitcher Aaron Heilman, who was part of the monster three-team trade for J.J. Putz, agreed to a one-year deal for this season.

“Aaron is a very versatile pitcher and is an important part of our pitching staff in 2009,”
Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said in a press release. “It is good to settle all these negotiations and head into spring training focused on working hard and getting prepared for the 2009 season.”

The 30-year-old Heilman finished 2009 with a 3-8 record and a 5.21 ERA (44 ER, 76.0 IP) in 78 relief appearances with the New York Mets last season. Towards the end of the season he was forced to take over the closing duties when Billy Wagner was injured. He struggled in that role, drawing the ire of angry Met fans, who often used him as the prime example of a faltering bullpen.

He was acquired by Seattle on Dec. 10, 2008 in a three-team, 12-player trade that sent J.J. Putz (rhp), Jeremy Reed (of) and Sean Green (rhp) to the Mets.

Since 2006, Heilman has the second-most innings (249.0), fourth-most appearances (233) and fifth-most holds (64) among Major League relievers. However, he told Mets officials after last season that he would like to return to starting.

Since acquiring Heilman for Putz, the Mariners haven't decided on a role for Heilman, though with seven starters already vying for the rotation, he seems either destined for the bullpen or possibly a candidate to be traded again. In 25 career starts, Heilman is 5-13 with a 5.93 ERA

Left-hander Erik Bedard, the likely No. 2 starter in the Seattle Mariners rotation, avoided arbitration Tuesday by agreeing to a one-year contract.

Bedard, 29, made 15 starts in 2009 before a shoulder injury ended his season. He was 6-4 with a 3.67 earned run average.

Healthy again, Bedard and Felix Hernandez will make up one of the stronger 1-2 punches in the American League. The Bedard deal comes one day after Hernandez received a one-year, $3.8 million deal from the Mariners, also avoiding arbitration.

The team would not disclose details of Bedard's contract. Reports say it is for $7.75 million, which would be a $750,000 raise, and includes another $650,000 in incentive clauses and bonuses.

Later in the day the Mariners reached an agreement with right-hander Aaron Heilman, the last of their potential arbitration cases.

The team issued this press release today.

On the telephone, Jeff Clement sounded awfully cheerful for a man living in 21-degree temperatures.

“A couple of weeks ago, it was below zero,” Clement said. “That’s Iowa in the winter.”

Clement had reason to be happy. A few months ago, he moved into a new home not far from Des Moines, he and his wife are expecting their first child in March and his rehabilitation from season-ending knee surgery is going well.

“I’m good to go, physically,” he said. “I won’t have any restrictions when camp opens. I’m lucky I had the surgery when I did (Sept. 9) instead of waiting until the end of the year. Doctors said I could have done more damage to the meniscus and the rehab time would have been longer.

“There’s no reason to think the knee will be an issue again.”

The question many fans have raised in the off-season is where Clement’s immediate future is with the Seattle Mariners – at catcher, first base or designated hitter.

It’s not a question for Clement.

“I’m a catcher, period,” he said. “I’ve heard that stuff since high school, and I still hear it, but I’ve worked hard to improve as a catcher. I can be more consistent, I can be better, but I’m a catcher until they tell me I’m not, and no one has.”

And he’s fired up for a new season.

“I flipped by the new major league baseball channel the other day and the focus was on the 1995 season, and about a third of it was about the Mariners that year,” Clement said. “That was pretty cool, watching that team. I grew up a big Ken Griffey Jr. fan, and watching him against the Yankees – he hit five home runs in that series! – really got me going.

“I’m looking forward to getting to camp. There have been a lot of changes since last year, but when you lose 102 games, changes is probably good.”