Very quietly, the New York Yankees are having themselves a very productive offseason. I have liked all the moves they have made and especially the ones recently. Adding Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez at a minimal cost for depth were shrewd moves by GM Brian Cashman and now he has made another solid acquisition.
The Yankees have signed RHP David Aardsma to a Major League deal worth $500,000 according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Aardsma has spent the past three seasons with the Seattle Mariners.
Aardsma is coming off of Tommy John surgery and even though he most likely won't be able to contribute to the Yankees until July or August, this is a really nice signing by Cashman. Aardsma was able to figure things out in Seattle and from 2009 to 2010, Aardsma had a 2.90 ERA, a 9.6 K/9, and 69 saves in 121 innings.
If he can come back healthy, he will add some nice bullpen depth and insurance for the Yankees down the stretch. Plus, relief pitchers are always in demand come July. By signing Aardsma now, the Yankees probably saved themselves a couple of hundred thousand.