The Mariners have won their arbitration hearing against reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman tweets. Wilhelmsen had asked for $2.2MM, but he will instead receive a 2015 salary of $1.4MM.
Wilhelmsen, 31, is coming off a strong year in which he posted a 2.27 ERA in 79 1/3 innings. His peripherals (8.2 K/9, 4.1 BB/9) and track record suggest he isn’t likely to sustain an ERA that strong, but he has a terrific mid-90s fastball, and he’ll continue to pitch in a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
Wilhelmsen might have made more through the arbitration system this winter had he continued as the Mariners’ closer — he saved 53 games in 2012 and 2013 combined, but only one in 2014 after the team signed Fernando Rodney. Wilhelmsen has two more years of arbitration eligibility, and is currently eligible for free agency following the 2017 season.
