Mariners to give Rhodes another chance

Veteran left-hander Arthur Rhodes is getting another chance to prolong his Major League career.

The 38-year-old pitched well enough last spring to earn a spot on the Mariners' Opening Day roster but had the entire regular season wiped out because of an elbow injury.

The Mariners and Rhodes reached agreement Tuesday on a Minor League contract that includes an invitation to Spring Training, which begins Feb. 13, when pitchers and catchers report to Peoria, Ariz.

And later on Tuesday, the club announced that left-handed reliever George Sherrill reached agreement on a one-year contract, avoiding a potential salary arbitration hearing.

Sherrill, 30, led the Mariners and was tied for seventh in the American League in appearances last season with 73, matching the third-most in club history. He has appeared in 145 games over the past two seasons, tying him with the Angels' Scot Shields for the AL lead.

Sherrill was 2-0 with a 2.36 ERA and three saves last season, allowing just 28 hits and 12 runs in 45 2/3 innings. He averaged 11.04 strikeouts per nine innings and limited opposing batters to a .179 average.

While Sherrill has less than three years of MLB service, his two years and 147 days were enough to put him in the "Super Two" category, making him eligible for salary arbitration for the first time.

Left-handed starter Horacio Ramirez, who made $2.65 million last season when he went 8-7 with a 7/16 ERA, is the only other Mariner eligible for salary arbitration. If he isn't signed by Friday, he will exchange salary figures with the organization and a hearing date would be set for February.

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi never has had a salary arbitration settled with third-party assistance.

Meanwhile, the deal Rhodes agreed to is similar to the one he signed a year ago as a free agent.

His second tour of duty with the Mariners went well for more than a month as he surrendered just two earned runs in eight Cactus League appearances, compiling a 2.57 ERA. But a sore left elbow proved to be more serious than expected and he underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on May 2.

Rhodes never threw a pitch during the season, but rejoined the team the final weeks of the season and resumed a rehab throwing program. It has gone well enough for the Mariners to take another look at the lefty, who has enjoyed most of his Major League success with Seattle, going 26-15 with a 3.07 ERA in 276 appearances.

He has a 75-60 career record with 30 saves and a 4.31 ERA in parts of 16 Major League seasons with the Orioles (1991-99), Mariners (2000-03), Athletics (2004), Indians (2005) and Phillies (2006).

Rhodes' best season was in 2001, when he posted an 8-0 record and 1.72 ERA in 71 relief appearances. His primary assignment was providing seventh- and eighth-inning relief help before handing the ball to closer Kaz Sasaki. Rhodes struck out 83 batters and walked only 12 in 68 innings that season.

He has appeared in nine Division Series games (1.04 ERA) and 11 Championship Series games (8.64 ERA), all with the Mariners.