Mariners Hurler Iwakuma’s Option Becomes Vested For $7.7 Million

The $7.7 million option of Seattle Mariners pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma vested, assuring the club one of its best starters will be under fold for the 2015 season.

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One of baseball’s better rotations should be intact for next season, as the Seattle Mariners announced on Thursday that the $7.7 million option of pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma was vested.

Regardless if it was a club option, as it was reported, Iwakuma provides the Mariners one of the game’s more dependable arms. The 33-year-old finished with a 15-9 record with a 3.52 ERA in 179 innings. He missed the entire month of April on the disabled list with a strained tendon in his middle finger It was a solid follow-up to his impressive 2013 breakout, as the former Nippon Professional Baseball standout went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA while finishing third in American League Cy Young voting.

Iwakuma will be the team’s number two starter behind ace Felix Hernandez. The M’s, who finished 87-75 and stayed in the AL Wild Card race until the final day of the regular season, will also have starters James Paxton (6-4, 3.70), top prospect Taijuan Walker (2-3, 2.61) and Roenis Elias (10-12, 3.85) back and under team contract for the 2015 campaign.

Walker just completed pitching in the Arizona Fall League, finishing with a 2.00 ERA while striking out 11 in nine innings of work. He was shut down early despite being healthy.

“Taijuan is completely healthy and was very impressive in his two outings, but made a personal decision that he needed to return home at this time,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement released by the club.

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