Major League Baseball

Morse traded to M's in 3-team deal

Published Jan. 16, 2013 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Even this late in the offseason, the Hot Stove has shown no signs of cooling.

The Seattle Mariners, Washington Nationals and Oakland A’s reached agreement on a three-team trade Wednesday: Outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse was sent from Washington to Seattle, minor-league right-handers A.J. Cole and Blake Treinen moved from Oakland to Washington and catcher John Jaso from Seattle to Oakland.

The Nationals also will receive a player to be named later from Oakland.

Morse became expendable once Washington traded for Denard Span and re-signed Adam LaRoche to play first base. Morse had a .791 OPS with 18 home runs in 102 games for the Nationals last season, a regression from his career year in 2011.

The Mariners haven’t been able to land a proven All-Star slugger for the middle of their lineup — Justin Upton rejected a trade to Seattle last week — so they have added quantity instead. Morse now fits in a left field/first base/designated hitter matrix that also includes Jason Bay, Raul Ibanez, Justin Smoak, Kendrys Morales and Jesus Montero.

Long undervalued, Jaso likely will be the left-handed half of a catching platoon with Oakland’s Derek Norris. Jaso is coming off his best offensive season — a .850 OPS in 108 games. Cole is returning to his original organization, after the A’s traded him to Washington last offseason for Gio Gonzalez.