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The Seattle Mariners signed right-handed pitcher Jeremy Bonderman to a minor league contract, the team announced on Friday.
The Pasco, Wash. native hasn't pitched in the majors since 2010 with the Detroit Tigers. Bonderman underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in April and has been working out in his hometown to prep for the upcoming season.
Bonderman has an eight-year pitching career, all spent with the Tigers between 2003-2010. He is 67-77 with a 4.89 ERA in his career, although during the Tigers' World Series run in 2006, Bonderman was 1-0 with a 3.10 ERA over three starts in the postseason.
Bonderman's contract allows him a shot at making the rotation this spring training. After the Mariners traded Jason Vargas to the Angels earlier this week, the starting rotation was suddenly one arm short. Bonderman's signing is the same strategy general manager Jack Zduriencik pulled successfully when signing Kevin Millwood to a minor league contract last year. Millwood went 6-12 last year, although his ERA was only 4.25.