Headlines

  • Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Likely Unavailable To Begin 2026
  • Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
  • Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract
  • Mike Shildt Steps Down As Padres Manager
  • Tigers Extended Manager A.J. Hinch Earlier This Season
  • Munetaka Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Padres To Sign Tom Wilhelmsen

By Jeff Todd | February 6, 2018 at 7:55am CDT

The Padres have inked righty Tom Wilhelmsen to a minors deal, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’ll receive an invitation to participate in MLB camp. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Wilhelmsen will earn a $900K base salary if he makes the roster.

Once an anchor of the Mariners bullpen, Wilhelmsen hit a rough patch upon moving to the Rangers in 2016. While he rebounded somewhat in the second half of that campaign when he returned to Seattle, the veteran settled for a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks this time last year.

Wilhelmsen, now 34, earned a job in Spring Training and opened the 2017 season as a part of the D-Backs’ relief corps. Things didn’t go quite as hoped, though, as he struggled to a 4.44 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over 26 1/3 innings. While he maintained a mid-nineties heater and induced grounders on about half of the balls put in play against him, Wilhelmsen carried a 6.2% swinging-strike rate that fell well shy of his 10.6% career average.

Ultimately, the Diamondbacks cut ties with Wilhelmsen in the middle of the year. He caught on with the Brewers but was unable to earn his way back to the majors. Now, Wilhelmsen will try to crack the Friars’ pen in camp. It looks like that will represent an uphill battle, as he’ll need to beat out a veteran pitcher such as Jordan Lyles and also hold off some of the organization’s younger options.

Share Repost Send via email

San Diego Padres Transactions Tom Wilhelmsen

Quick Hits: Aardsma, Coke, Market Analysis
Main
MLBTR Poll: Predicting A Contract For Mike Moustakas
View Comments (20)
Post a Comment

20 Comments

  1. rukastar

    8 years ago

    Anyone actually surprised the White Sox didn’t grab him given their fascination with anyone with any remote closing experience?

    4
    Reply
  2. Yankeepatriot

    8 years ago

    This is what I call a no risk no reward type of signing

    8
    Reply
    • nop990

      8 years ago

      You’re what I call an idiot

      Reply
  3. bosox90

    8 years ago

    Sat behind this guy’s family at a Sox/Mariners game at Fenway. They were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, so I found myself pulling for him the rest of the season. Turned out he would become the closer for a little while that season and got 29 saves. Hope he finds success in SD!

    5
    Reply
    • dynamite drop in monty

      8 years ago

      That’s a great story , thanks for sharing

      3
      Reply
  4. Yamsi12

    8 years ago

    The immortal Tom Wilhelmsen. I like this signing. Sign him to a minor league contract so the other teams aren’t on to how good he really is. Sneaky. The hot stove is heating up!

    1
    Reply
  5. slowcurve

    8 years ago

    Stove’s a cookin’ boys!

    1
    Reply
    • Ryan Tanana

      8 years ago

      stove is chillin in the fridge, the doors closed, the lights out, the eggs are cooling, the butters getting hard, and the jellos jiggling.

      Reply
      • slowcurve

        8 years ago

        Meanwhile sarcasm awareness is left outside in the cold, lost, and alone.

        1
        Reply
  6. marinerfan

    8 years ago

    I met Tom at Mariners spring training several years ago. Great guy, very personable. He remembered me several days later when I ran into him at a team function, and again midway thru the season at a signing. He was in his prime then. Good luck in SD, Bartender!

    3
    Reply
  7. SixFlagsMagicPadres

    8 years ago

    Maybe Balsley can help him rediscover some of his old stuff.

    1
    Reply
  8. Ninth 3 Year Plan

    8 years ago

    No risk only reward type signing for the Pads. This guy will eventually provide some value at the big league level, and will be flipped at the deadline to add to an ever improving farm system

    Good move

    2
    Reply
  9. padreforlife

    8 years ago

    “Good clubhouse guy”

    1
    Reply
    • AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres

      8 years ago

      “Extra chromosome”

      1
      Reply
      • keepinthafaithsd1

        8 years ago

        “Hes a glue guy”

        Reply
  10. padreforlife

    8 years ago

    Could be missing link since “NL West not that strong”

    Reply
    • lowtalker1

      8 years ago

      Not that strong? Strongest divison in the nl

      Reply
      • AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres

        8 years ago

        Won’t be after 2019

        Reply
        • padreforlife

          8 years ago

          Marvinthemindreader.com projects 2 seasons ahead.

          Reply
    • AndThisGameBelongsToMySanDiegoPadres

      8 years ago

      LONDON BRIDGES FALLING DOWN! FALLING DOWN! FALLING DOWN!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Likely Unavailable To Begin 2026

    Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

    Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract

    Mike Shildt Steps Down As Padres Manager

    Tigers Extended Manager A.J. Hinch Earlier This Season

    Munetaka Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason

    Cody Bellinger To Opt Out Of Contract With Yankees

    Angels, Albert Pujols Discussing Managerial Deal

    Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026

    Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager

    Albert Pujols To Interview For Angels’ Managerial Vacancy, May Be “Leading Choice”

    Bill Schmidt Will Not Return As Rockies’ GM

    Brian Snitker Will Not Return As Braves’ Manager In 2026

    Angels To Have New Manager In 2026

    Rays Sale To Patrick Zalupski’s Group Officially Completed

    Guardians Promote Chase DeLauter For Wild Card Series

    Bruce Bochy Will Not Return As Rangers Manager Amid Financial Uncertainty

    Liam Hendriks Undergoes Ulnar Nerve Transposition Surgery

    Twins Fire Rocco Baldelli

    Giants Fire Bob Melvin

    Recent

    Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Likely Unavailable To Begin 2026

    Cubs Notes: Tucker, Imanaga, Horton, Coaching Staff

    The Opener: ALCS, NLCS, Waiver Wire

    A.J. Preller Discusses Padres’ Rotation

    Latest On Mike Shildt’s Resignation As Padres Manager

    Diamondbacks Hire J.R. House As Third Base Coach

    Albert Pujols Expected To Interview For Orioles’ Managerial Opening

    Rocco Baldelli Interested In Managing Again

    Devin Williams: Open To Reunion With Yankees

    Nine Players Elect Free Agency

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version