Orioles Send Flanagan to Blue Jays, Acquire 2 Players

The Baltimore Orioles traded left-handed pitcher Mike Flanagan to the Toronto Blue Jays Monday in exchange for minor league pitcher Oswald Peraza and a player to be named.

The deal was contingent upon Flanagan’s approval, since as a 10-year man with five years service with one team he had the right to veto a trade. He was on the telephone for 2 1/2 hours in the office of Orioles Manager Cal Ripken before the trade was announced.

In order for Flanagan to be eligible for postseason play, he had to report to the Blue Jays in Toronto by midnight Monday. With that in mind, the Blue Jays chartered a plane to fly Flanagan to Toronto.

“It was awful tough taking off that uniform for the last time,” Flanagan said as he rushed to his car for the drive to the airport. “I wish the Orioles nothing but the best. I’ll always be an Oriole. It was a difficult decision, one that I was hoping I’d never have to make.”

The 35-year-old Flanagan, who joined the Orioles in 1976, had said he would prefer to complete his career with Baltimore.

Flanagan, the American League Cy Young Award winner in 1979 when was 23-9, has a 139-109 lifetime record. This season he is 3-6 with a 4.94 earned-run average in 16 games.

He has been on the disabled list in four of the last five seasons with knee, shoulder and Achilles tendon injuries. This year, he was out with an elbow injury from May 17 to July 18. Since returning, he is 3-1 with two complete games.

Peraza is 10-7 with a 3.12 ERA at Knoxville, Tenn., of the Class AA Southern League. He appeared in 28 games, including 19 starts.