M's trade for Mike Morse in 3-team deal
SEATTLE -- The Washington Nationals have agreed to send Michael Morse to Seattle as part of a three-team deal that moves catcher John Jaso from the Mariners to the Athletics and pitcher A.J. Cole from Oakland to the Nationals.
The deal was first reported by The Washington Post.
Morse hit .291 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs for the Nationals in an injury-plagued season, playing mostly as an outfielder.
“With the addition of Mike Morse, along with the other veteran players we have added, we believe this will help us be a more complete offensive team," Mariners' general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement announcing the trade. "We wanted to add additional right-handed power and Mike is a major step in that direction."
Jaso, 29, batted .276 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs but became expendable when Seattle signed Raul Ibanez to be its designated hitter, a move that shifts Jesus Montero from a catcher-DH split to primarily behind the plate. The AL West champion A's had Kurt Suzuki as their main catcher last season before trading him to the Nationals.
Cole, a 21-year-old right-hander, was among four players traded by Washington to Oakland in December 2011 for pitcher Gio Gonzalez. Cole was 0-7 with a 7.82 ERA in eight games at Stockton of the California League and 6-3 with a 2.07 ERA at Burlington of the Midwest League, both Class A level.
To open a roster spot, Oakland designated catcher George Kottaras for assignment.
The deal was first reported by The Washington Post.
Morse hit .291 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs for the Nationals in an injury-plagued season, playing mostly as an outfielder.
“With the addition of Mike Morse, along with the other veteran players we have added, we believe this will help us be a more complete offensive team," Mariners' general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement announcing the trade. "We wanted to add additional right-handed power and Mike is a major step in that direction."
Jaso, 29, batted .276 with 10 homers and 50 RBIs but became expendable when Seattle signed Raul Ibanez to be its designated hitter, a move that shifts Jesus Montero from a catcher-DH split to primarily behind the plate. The AL West champion A's had Kurt Suzuki as their main catcher last season before trading him to the Nationals.
Cole, a 21-year-old right-hander, was among four players traded by Washington to Oakland in December 2011 for pitcher Gio Gonzalez. Cole was 0-7 with a 7.82 ERA in eight games at Stockton of the California League and 6-3 with a 2.07 ERA at Burlington of the Midwest League, both Class A level.
To open a roster spot, Oakland designated catcher George Kottaras for assignment.
Fantastic move!
If Morse can stay healthy, this will be a great acquisition. He is a power hitter that we need indeed. Jaso was a great player and was probably our most consistent hitter last year. It's sad to see him go but I think we need some more power in our lineup right now. I wish we could've traded Smoak and Olivo instead of Jaso but I guess it's all part of business. Welcome back to the M's Morse.
Maybe I am confused, but I was thinking that we DID trade (or perhaps release?) Miguel Olivo earlier in the off season?
@grmnshepherdess Sorry, yes, you are correct. I forgot they got rid of Olivo along with that pain-in-the-a** Figgins. The news that Olivio left just seemed like it was a VERY long time ago :)
Morse might be our best acquisition yet, if he's healed up. In '11 he hit .303 with 31 home runs in just 146 games. That's an incredible season. He's only 30 so far from being washed up. I'm far more excited for this deal than the Bay or Ibanez trades.Â
Another meaningless trade. Jack Z. is still being hindered by Chuckie Armstrong and Howie Lincoln. It's a shame we are wasting the best pitcher in MLB and some strong, young talent. Welcome back Mike Morse and too bad Jaso had to go.
@16biffle16  Meaningless? If Mike can stay healthy he is a definite upgrade over Smoak.
 @ReallyRUSerious But it wasn't Smoak that we traded off..
@Cooter_Brown...uh, I know. Do you actually see Jaso playing first base?
One more injury-prone, mediocre waste of a roster spot, awesome. Jaso was a good, clutch player, what a waste.Â
The Mariners need a lot more help than someone like Morse can provide. They need a full house cleaning from top to bottom. Especially, the Communications Dept.
 @None Yup.  And Chuck and Howie should be the first ones to go.  The entire time that this team has gone to crap, these two have been the constant.  Logic would dictate that this is where the biggest change should be.
@None The M's have a lot of young talent. They are just missing a couple big bats. In my humble opinion, they need to clean out the front office. And it would be nice if the owner would sell to someone who would be more involved, and on this continent.
@None Wow, and I thought I was the only that felt that way. I totally agree!
The Mariners need more help than Morse can provide. They need a cleanup from top to bottom. Including office personnel in the media department. They're the most unprofessional group out there.
"...Morse hit .291 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs for the Nationals in an injury-plagued season..."
What a steal!
I will miss John Jaso so much, but it will be good to see Mike Morse back.
Why are we trading for has beens and players that have a history of being injured. Just waiting to watch the attendance fall one more time. Billy Bean does it again.