January 20, 2009 at 10:21 PM
Aardsma sent to Seattle for Fabian Williamson
After being designated for assignment on Thursday to make room on the 40-man roster for Mark Kotsay, right-handed reliever David Aardsma has been traded to the Seattle Mariners for lefthander Fabian Williamson. Williamson, the Mariners' 22nd round selection in the 2006 draft, pitched last season for Pulaski of the rookie-level Appalachian League, going 4-3 with a 4.10 ERA in eleven starts. His 67 strikeouts in 52.2 innings were good for fifth in the league. The 20-year-old California native has been initially assigned to Low-A Greenville. Aardsma pitched in 47 games out of the Boston bullpen last year, going 4-2 with a 5.55 ERA. He compiled 49 strikeouts and 35 walks in 48.2 innings pitched. The hard-throwing righthander will join his fifth major league team in six years, having previously pitched with San Fransisco and both Chicago teams before joining the Red Sox via an off-season trade in January, 2008. He will likely fill a middle-relief role with the Mariners.