Jeremy Bonderman excited for possible comeback with Mariners

Newly-signed Mariners pitcher Jeremy Bonderman is ready for the opportunity, one he told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times would be his "one last shot."

The Pasco, Wash., native last pitched in the major leagues back in 2010. He was diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow and decided to give the whole baseball game a break. Bonderman didn't undergo Tommy John surgery until April of 2012.

Bonderman built his own little training facility of sorts in Pasco inside of a steel hangar and began his rehabilitation, saying it took quite a while to get comfortable again.

"I just get up, get my kid to school, go to the gym a couple of hours a day," he said.

Interestingly enough, no teams have actually sent anyone to see Bonderman pitch -- including the Mariners. There are no official velocity readings of his pitches to know how close Bonderman is to the high 80s to low 90s he was hitting back in 2010.

The Mariners offered Bonderman a minor league contract that could turn into a spot in the starting rotation depending on how his spring training goes. The Mariners made a similar move with Kevin Millwood last year that proved to be fruitful as Millwood claimed a spot in the rotation for most of the year.

Bonderman told Baker he had a few teams interested, but he chose the Mariners because it is just three-and-a-half hours away from his home in the Tri-Cities area. He is staying honest about his chances, laughing at the idea of having to find something else besides baseball -- something he has done his whole life.

"I guess I'll have to find something else to do, eventually," he said with a chuckle.

After trading away Jason Vargas to the Los Angeles Angels for slugger Kendrys Morales, the Mariners do have an open spot in their starting rotation, so Bonderman may be able to hold off those retirement plans.