SEATTLE, WA. -- The Toronto Blue Jays finalized their acquisition of starting pitcher Brandon Morrow from Seattle on Wednesday after the oft-injured right-hander passed his physical.
Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos sent relief pitcher Brandon League and minor-league outfielder Johermyn Chavez to the Mariners in his second notable trade in a week.
Morrow, 25, had an 8-12 record with 16 saves and 3.96 earned-run average over 197 innings pitched in three seasons in Seattle, where he split his time in the bullpen and starting rotation.
Anthopoulos, who dealt ace Roy Halladay to the Philadelphia Phillies for three prospects on Dec. 16, said Morrow would be used as a starter.
Last season, Morrow jumped back and forth between the bullpen and starting rotation.
"Looking back on it, it may not have been the greatest thing in the world for Brandon," Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said of the constant shuffling, which began under the regime of former GM Bill Bavasi. "But it's a double-edged sword. He did gain major league experience that was invaluable for him."
Zduriencik called the trade a tough decision that he and his staff debated for almost two months and through perhaps as many as 15 conversations with Anthopoulos.
Morrow had shown flashes of brilliance with the Mariners but was slowed as Seattle converted him from a starter to a reliever and back. Seattle often forced him into on-the-job training while he was still in the major leagues.
Morrow began last season as a reliever after dropping 12 pounds as a result of the flu during spring training. But after blowing saves at the end of the final two games of a 1-7 trip in mid-May, the Mariners replaced him with David Aardsma and sent Morrow to AAA to convert back to a starter. He returned to Seattle's rotation in September.
Besides his changing roles, injuries and control issues stood out for Morrow in his time as a Mariner.
Shoulder ailments, elbow issues and biceps tendinitis have hampered Morrow from tapping his full potential after Seattle drafted him fifth overall in 2006.
"We acquired a very talented arm, and we gave up a very talented arm," Zduriencik said on a conference call Wednesday. "They just fit different roles in each organization."
League, 26, set a career high with 67 appearances and 76 strikeouts over 74 2/3 innings in 2009 with the Blue Jays. He had several rocky outings in June and August, but started and finished the season with a string of decent performances.
The Mariners, who have revamped their player evaluations with more statistical analysis in the 14 months with Zduriencik and his staff in charge, liked League's 76 strikeouts with just 21 walks. They also liked that League, whom Zduriencik said has a "power arm with a great sinker and a swing-and-miss fastball," had 2.33 ground balls to every fly ball.
That ranked eighth among American League relievers, and his career rate of 3.25 grounders-to-fly balls is second-best among relievers over the last six seasons.
For his career, League is 7-10 in 168 games with a 4.09 ERA.
"We were a little bit uncomfortable with the current status of our bullpen, and last year that was a huge part of our success," Zduriencik said of the Mariners' improvement from 101 losses in 2008 to an 85-77 season.
The trade reunites him with Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair, who worked in the same role with AA New Hampshire in the Toronto organization in 2003.
Chavez, 20, posted a .283 batting average with Class A Lansing (Mich.) of the Midwest League and added 89 runs batted in.
Zduriencik noted the powerful, six-foot-three, 220-pound native of Venezuela has been Toronto's minor league player of the year with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Blue Jays in 2007 and with Lansing last season.
