NEW YORK — The New York Mets have signed right-handed reliever David Aardsma to a minor league contract and assigned him Triple-A Las Vegas.
The former Seattle Mariners closer signed with New York on Monday after opting out of his minor league deal with the Miami Marlins on Wednesday. He was 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA for Triple-A New Orleans.
The 31-year-old Aardsma missed all of 2011 when he had off-season hip surgery and then an elbow ligament replacement operation that July.
Aardsma signed with the Yankees before last season and made one appearance. He was cut on March 29. A 2003 first-round pick by San Francisco, Aardsma saved a combined 69 games for the Mariners in 2009-10. Overall, Aardsma is 13-15 with 69 saves and a 4.22 ERA in 255 games.
The Mets’ bullpen has a 4.77 ERA, 29th in the major leagues.
