July 30th, 2012 at 11:37 pm 
by Ron Cervenka The Dodgers have acquired right-handed reliever Brandon League from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league outfielder Leon Landry and minor league right-handed pitcher Logan Bawcom. Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti made the announcement.
Brandon League
League was 0-5 with a 3.63 ERA (18 ER/44.2 IP) and nine saves in 46 games for the Mariners this season, striking out 27 batters and allowing just one home run. The Sacramento, CA native was named to the American League All-Star team in 2011 and went on to save 37 games for Seattle last year.
League’s 37 saves in 42 chances last year ranked third in the American League and tied for fourth on the Mariners’ all-time single-season saves list. The 29-year old hurler recorded 14 consecutive saves from May 18-July 4, 2011. His 88.1 save percentage was the sixth highest in Mariners’ history.
Since his first season in 2004, he owns a ground-ball percentage of 74.4, which ranks eighth in the Major Leagues among qualifying relievers. Additionally, right-handers are batting just .225 against him over the course of his career and overall he has limited hitters to a .252 career batting average.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pounder was named to the AL All-Star team in 2011 and pitched the seventh inning in Arizona. League was also part of the no-hitter against the Dodgers on June 8 at Safeco Field. The right-hander recorded the last two outs of the eighth inning, stranding runners on second and third.
The nine-year veteran has pitched for Toronto (2004-09) and Seattle (2010-12) compiling a career record of 17-27 with a 3.69 ERA, 54 saves and 282 strikeouts in 349 games.
League was originally selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round (59th overall) of the 2001 First-Year Draft. League attended high school in Honolulu, HI and was the 2001 Gatorade Hawaii Player of the Year.
Landry, 22, has spent the entire season at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga where he entered action tonight hitting .328 with eight homers, 51 RBI and 20 stolen bases in 80 games. Landry was selected in the third round of the 2010 First-Year Draft.
Bawcom, 23, was taken in the 17th round of the 2010 draft and entered tonight’s play having appeared in 39 combined games for Double-A Chattanooga and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. The Texas native had a total of 20 saves and posted a combined 2.03 ERA for the two clubs in 2012.
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Not necessarily excited about this trade. I am not sure why we need League. He lost his job as a closer with the Mariners. I saw him pitch with the Jays – inconsistent comes to mind.
We knew Logan would be traded and that is probably in his best interests with the young pitchers we have. I feared it would be Josh Lindblom so am OK with that. I had a feeling that Leon’s good season would put him at risk to be traded but thought it would be part of a deal for a hitter. Leon seems to have the possibility of being a good lead off hitter – speed, average, some power, good defense. Joc Pederson is safe.
My thought is that Brandon is a temporary Dodger going in a deal to another team as part of a deal for a hitter. Jerry Sands might be back as a trading chip.
Keep hearing Hunter Pence. I think we might want him to keep him from the Giants.
Here’s what Don Mattingly had to say about Brandon League during Monday night’s post-game interview:
When asked what League’s role with the team would be, Mattingly said:
Mattingly was clearly excited about this acquisition say that it gives him quite a few options in the late innings, including giving Kenley Jansen and Belisario some rest when needed and taking a lot of pressure off of them.
As far as being inconsistent – I seem to recall Scott Elbert and Ronald Belisario having issues with inconsistency, yet both seemed to have turned that around nicely.
When you consider that Brandon League had 37 saves in 2012 with a 2.79 ERA and a 1.076 WHIP for a team that won only 67 games in 2011 (28th in the MLB), what he will do with a contending team that will provide him with some run support.
As much as I hate to see Leon Landry go, I think that this will prove to be a great trade for the Dodgers.
Brandon was inconsistent when I saw him as a Jay and an underachiever. Sounds like some of our guys, eh. Not saying he can’t be a useful piece in a bullpen but I am not not too excited. Last year was a great year for Brandon. This year, Brandon lost his closer’s role. Had a great year in 2011. This year ERA 3.63, 0-5, 1.50 WHIP, 9 saves, 5 blown saves, 27 K’s, 19 BB. The regression concerns me after one good year.
I know it means Josh Lindblom is now exposed to a trade. Josh is considerably more advanced at his age than Brandon was at that age and later. In fact, Josh is having a better year in every category than Brandon, including innings pitched, but not in saves and blown saves of course.
Why is Josh expendable? I expect it is his age and only in his second year. The League trade makes sense to me only if Josh is not traded or Brandon is traded to a team wanting a more experienced reliever.