Tom Wilhelmsen has come back to where his baseball career blossomed.
On Wednesday, the Mariners announced they had signed Wilhelmsen to a one-year contract. He will join the team in Detroit. To make room for Wilhelmsen on the 25-man roster, reliever Jonathan Aro was optioned to Class AAA Tacoma. And to clear space on the 40-man roster, reliever Charlie Furbush was placed on the 60-day disabled list. That move is retroactive to March 25, meaning the 60 days is already up and Furbush is eligible to return whenever healthy.
It’s been a tumultuous year for Wilhelmsen. He was traded along with infielder Patrick Kivlehan and outfielder James Jones to the Texas Rangers in exchange for centerfielder Leonys Martin and pitcher Anthony Bass.