BALTIMORE -- The Seattle Mariners added a left-handed arm to
their bullpen Thursday, acquiring John Parrish from the Baltimore
Orioles for a minor league outfielder and a player to be named or
cash.
Parrish switched clubhouses Thursday night before the Mariners
and Orioles completed a three-game series at Camden Yards.
"I'm still stunned. But it's a good stunned,'' Parrish said
while slipping on a Mariners uniform.
Utility infielder Chris Gomez also left the Orioles when the
Cleveland Indians claimed him on waivers.
Parrish was drafted by Baltimore in 1996 and had been with the
organization ever since.
"It's been a good time. They stuck with me for a long time,''
he said. "That's why it's a little different. Twelve years with the
same organization is a little unheard of sometimes.''
The 29-year-old Parrish appeared in 45 games for the Orioles
this year, going 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA. He missed most of the
previous two seasons after having a pair of operations on his
pitching arm, including Tommy John surgery.
"He is a veteran pitcher and he adds a little depth to the
organization,'' Seattle manager John McLaren said. "He's not an
innings pitcher; he's a situational lefty. And he also has pretty
good stats against right-handers.''
Seattle sent Sebastien Boucher to the Orioles. Boucher has split
this season between Double-A West Tenn and Triple-A Tacoma. In 28
games with Tacoma, Boucher was hitting .298 with four doubles and
12 RBIs. He was a seventh-round pick by Seattle in the June 2004
draft.
Seattle also optioned right-handed reliever Mark Lowe to Tacoma
to clear a roster spot for Parrish. Lowe returned last month after
missing the first three months of the season following a pair of
operations on his right elbow.
"This will give us a chance to move Mark Lowe and let him pitch
on a more regular basis,'' McLaren said.
Lowe was a sensation out of the Mariners' bullpen a year ago
when he went 1-0 with a 1.83 ERA in 15 appearances during his first
major league season. This year, he appeared in four games after
being activated from the disabled list on July 24. He was 0-0 with
a 6.75 ERA.
Gomez hit .302 with one homer and 16 RBIs in 169 at-bats for the
Orioles. He was looking forward to joining the AL Central-leading
Indians.
"I've heard lots of good things about the Cleveland
organization, so it's something to look forward to. But of course
I'm going to miss the guys here,'' he said.
The Orioles recalled pitcher Jim Hoey from Triple-A Norfolk and
selected the contract of outfielder Tike Redman from the same club.