Brandon Morrow to Toronto, Because Mariners Don't Care About Pedigree

Which pitcher would you rather have?

Pitcher A: 74.2 IP, 76 K, 21 BB, 8 HR allowed. Ground ball/Fly ball: 1.23.
Pitcher B: 69.2 IP, 63 K, 44 BB, 10 HR allowed. Ground ball/Fly ball: 0.57.

Word came last night that former M's first round pick Brandon Morrow was traded to Toronto for reliever Brandon League and a prospect. The general media consensus is that this prospect will be a good one, since Morrow was such a high draft pick.

But I'm not so sure. In that little quiz above, League is pitcher A, and Morrow is pitcher B. Looks to me like League's the better pitcher.

Oh, but Morrow has such great stuff, you say? Well, so does League--he throws a mid 90s fastball and a high 90s sinker. And though League was selected in the 2001 draft, five years before Morrow, he's actually only 16 months older.

One thing I love about Jack Zduriencik is that he doesn't make decisions based on reputation. Russell Branyan was considered a part-time player, but Zduriencik made him a starter and got 31 homers from him. Last year, Zduriencik went into spring training with only one established reliever on the roster, Tyler Miller Walker, then cut the guy before opening day when he pitched poorly in Cactus League play. (Commenter Jon caught my mistake, and also notes that established reliever Miguel Batista was on the roster. Point stands, though.)

Contrast this with Bill Bavasi, who consistently overspent for reputation over performance in his acquisitions of Rich Aurilia, Scott Spezio, Carl Everett, Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro, Miguel Batista, Carlos Silva ... need I go on?

The difference I think is in the upbringing of the two men. Bavasi was the son of a baseball executive, with a leg up on the competition. His dad gave him a front office job with the Angels at age 24.

Zduriencik, on the other hand, was the son of a steel mill worker. He didn't get a job in baseball until he was 30, and that was as an area scout, the lowest possible rung of baseball administration.

No wonder Zduriencik looks at Morrow and sees a pitcher living on reputation, not performance.

Now League has his issues too--with control, primarily. But his walk numbers aren't nearly as high as Morrow's.

Morrow gave us some thrilling moments: His near-no-hitter of the Yankees in 2008 was the most exciting game of that dismal season and effectively knocked the Yanks out of the playoffs that year. But more often, Morrow struggled to do the one thing a pitcher must: throw the ball over the plate.

I hope the Mariners do get a top prospect in addition to League. But if they don't, I'm okay with the trade anyway.