The Seattle Mariners could have a very impressive bullpen for the 2012 season. With the return of key components and the signing of free agent pitcher George Sherrill, I feel that the Mariners could have one of the best bullpens in baseball.

I wrote in mid-December about the acquisition of Sherrill, noting that he is the perfect situational lefty for the bullpen to have. If he can put up numbers like he did in 2007 (2.36 ERA and 0.99 WHIP) Sherrill will add a lot to the depth of the Mariners roster. Sherrill is also a steal at the $1.1 million salary he is getting for 2012.

All-Star closer Brandon League is also back, with the chance to improve upon his 2.79 ERA and 37 saves from 2011. Currently, his set-up guys are Shawn Kelley, Tom Wilhelmsen and Chance Ruffin, with Charlie Furbush likely to become a long reliever out of the bullpen. The Mariners also selected reliever Lucas Leutge in the Rule 5 Draft to possibly add even more depth.

Kelley returned from injury to pitch 12 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball in September, allowing just 7 hits and striking out 10 batters. He is a great guy to have in the bullpen again this year, and will definitely get the chance to show what he can do. Wilhelmsen got a taste of Major League Baseball as well, pitching 32 2/3 innings for the Mariners and posting a nice 3.31 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.

Ruffin is the most interesting of the returning relievers because his potential has only just started getting tped. He came over as part of the Doug Fister trade with the Detroit Tigers and saw a little bit of action down the stretch. The 23-year-old saw 14 innings, posting a 3.86 ERA and 15 strikeouts over that span. He was a bit wild at times, walking 9 batters to post a WHIP of 1.57. Ruffin is a potential future closer for the Mariners and will likely get the chance in Spring Training to become the main set-up pitcher for League.

If the Mariners keep this bullpen intact and hold on to League for the 2012 season, it has the makings of a great one. With the exception of Furbush, who still needs to figure a few things out and Leutge, whom I haven’t seen pitch yet, I would trust any of these other guys in the ninth inning. If the Mariners can just figure things out on offense, the combination of a good staff of starting pitchers and relievers could take this team a long ways.

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References:

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*Ryan is a lifelong Seattle Mariners fan who never misses an opportunity to attend a game at Safeco Field. He has been attending games since 1985, and has fond memories of The Kingdome, Edgar Martinez, and the historic 1995 team. Sodo Mojo!

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George Sherrill is officially a member of the Seattle Mariners again.

The veteran left-handed reliever, who had agreed to a one-year deal earlier in December that will pay him $1.1 million, passed his physical, the team announced Friday.

“It’s good to have everything done and know for sure what’s going on,” Sherrill told MLB.com.

The announcement of his signing had been hung up because Sherrill and his wife had been caring for their newborn son and he had not been able to get to Seattle for his physical until after Christmas.

Sherrill, 34, is well-known around these parts, having pitched for the Rainiers and Mariners, who signed him out of an independent league in July 2003. Sherrill began his pro career pitching four-plus seasons in the independent leagues with Evansville, Sioux Falls and Winnipeg.

In four seasons with the Mariners, he posted a 3.65 ERA in 195 pearances. He made 73 pearances in 2007, tied for fourth-most in club history, and 72 in 2006 before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in the Erik Bedard trade in February 2008.

He said he understood why former Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi included him in that deal, but was glad to be returning to the Mariners organization.

“Definitely no hard feelings,” he told MLB.com. “It should be a lot of fun coming back to Seattle.”

Sherrill peared in 51 games with the Atlanta Braves last season, posting a 3-1 record and an 3.00 ERA. He ended the season on the disabled list – going on the DL on Aug. 31 – with left elbow inflammation.

He’s been tough on lefties in his career, a role the Mariners need him to fill in their bullpen. Sherrill has limited lefties to a .180 average, the second-best mark among lefties in baseball since 1974.

In a career that includes stops in Baltimore (2008-09), Los Angeles with the Dodgers (2009-10) and Atlanta, Sherrill has a 19-17 record with 56 saves in 440 career games along with a 3.68 ERA.

With today’s transaction, the Mariners’ 40-man roster is now at 38 players.

SEATTLE () — The Seattle Mariners have signed left-handed reliever George Sherrill to a one-year contract.

The Mariners announced the move Friday.

Sherrill peared in 51 games with the Atlanta Braves last season and was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA. He has limited lefty hitters to just a .180 batting average over the span of his eight-year career.

Sherrill was on the 15-day disabled list from Aug. 31 through the end of the season with inflammation in his left elbow.

Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

SEATTLE () — The Seattle Mariners have signed left-handed reliever George Sherrill to a one-year contract.

The Mariners announced the move Friday.

Sherrill peared in 51 games with the Atlanta Braves last season and was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA. He has limited lefty hitters to just a .180 batting average over the span of his eight-year career.

Sherrill was on the 15-day disabled list from Aug. 31 through the end of the season with inflammation in his left elbow.

Copyright 2011 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

SEATTLE —

The Seattle Mariners have signed left-handed reliever George Sherrill to a one-year contract.

The Mariners announced the move Friday.

Sherrill peared in 51 games with the Atlanta Braves last season and was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA. He has limited lefty hitters to just a .180 batting average over the span of his eight-year career.

Sherrill was on the 15-day disabled list from Aug. 31 through the end of the season with inflammation in his left elbow.

By Danny Kelly

– Associate Editor

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Dec 30, 2011 – Jack Zduriencik, Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations, announced this afternoon that the Mariners have signed free-agent left-handed pitcher George Sherrill to a one year deal. Sherrill, 34, will contribute as left-handed help in the bullpen for the Mariners after posting a 3-1 record with a 3.00 ERA in 31 pearances for the Atlanta Braves last season. He struck out 38 and walked 12.

His obvious role is to deal with opposing left hand hitters – in his pearances last season, he struck out 32 and only walked one against lefties, and has held them to a .180 batting average with a .515 OPS in 550 career at-bats.

Sherrill began his big-league career with the Mariners in 2004, and has since spent time with the Orioles, Braves, and Dogders. He was an All-Star as Baltimore’s closer in 2008. Jack Z had this to say on the signing:

“It’s nice to bring a guy back home, as it were, but more than anything, he fit what we were looking for. He’s a veteran guy who can get left-handers out. He’s excited about his return, but this is more about what he can help us do with winning games. He’s a veteran who is well thought of as person and competitor.”

With the signing, the Mariners 40-man roster is now at 38 players.

Read More: George Sherrill (P – SEA), Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves

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