Mariners and Blue Jays Swap Morrow for League

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired RHP Brandon Morrow from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for RHP Brandon League and minor league OF Johermyn Chavez.

Morrow, 25, has spent three seasons with the Seattle Mariners after being selected 5th overall in the 2006 draft. The Santa Rosa, California native posted a 2-4 record with a 4.39 ERA last season in 26 games, including 10 starts. The 6’3″, 195 lb. right-hander is 8-12 with 16 saves and a 3.96 ERA over his career.

“We feel we have added an experienced power arm to go along with our current bullpen,” Zduriencik said. “He has a ‘swing and miss’ pitch and a high groundball rate. He is a good fit for our bullpen and our ballpark.”

“We also received a young outfielder in Johermyn Chavez, who was twice voted as a player of the year in the Blue Jays organization and we look forward to watching his progress through our system.”

“It is never easy to see a talented player like Brandon Morrow leave. We wish him the best and will be following his career.”

League, 26, appeared in a career-high 67 games last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. He went 3-6, 4.58 with 9 holds and 76 strikeouts. He recorded 2.33 ground balls to every fly ball, ranking 8th among American League relievers. When pitching on grass (Toronto played home games on artificial turf), League posted a 2.30 ERA (8 ER, 31.1 IP).

League was originally selected by Toronto in the 2nd round (59th overall) in the 2001 June draft out of St. Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawai’i. He has appeared in 168 career Major League games (all in relief), going 7-10 with a 4.09 ERA. He has a career groundball rate of 3.25 (384 groundballs, 118 flyballs), ranking 2nd-best among relievers since his debut in 2004 (min. 150 appearances).

Chavez, 20 (turns 21 Jan. 26), has been named Toronto’s minor league Player of the Year with the rookie-level Gulf Coast Blue Jays in 2007 and Single-A Lansing in 2009. In 2009 he won Lansing’s Triple Crown, batting .283 (144×508) with 21 home runs and 89 RBI. The 6-3, 220-pound outfielder ranked 2nd in the Midwest League in home runs, 3rd in RBI, 5th in hits (144) and 5th in runs scored (87). The native of Turmero, Aragua, Venezuela originally signed with the Blue Jays as a non-drafted free agent on July 14, 2005.

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