Notebook | M's roster puzzle finally completed

The final day of preseason for the Mariners was filled with exhilaration and pathos — all intertwined with an 11th-hour trade with the San Francisco Giants that netted outfielder Jason Ellison from Port Orchard.

At one extreme was the quiet jubilation of spring longshots like rookie pitchers Brandon Morrow and Sean White and 35-year-old journeyman catcher Jamie Burke, who finally got their spots on the 25-man roster confirmed.

"Like someone put it earlier, I didn't want to spike the ball before I crossed the end zone," said Morrow. "I guess the papers have been saying I made it for a week and half. I've been hearing a lot of stuff, but not officially."

The danger of celebrating too soon was poignantly brought home Sunday by the fate of veteran infielder Rey Ordonez.

The Mariners were minutes from Sunday's noon deadline to set their roster — with Ordonez on it — when general manager Bill Bavasi consummated the trade that ended Ordonez's comeback bid.

By getting Ellison in exchange for left-handed pitcher Travis Blackley — a rising star in the organization until shoulder surgery in 2005 — the Mariners no longer had a spot on their bench for Ordonez.

"It makes us a little more versatile," said manager Mike Hargrove. "It gives us probably a better right-handed bat off the bench, better speed. It makes us a lot more versatile."

Ordonez, 36, who was out of baseball the previous two seasons, was reassigned to minor-league camp, but he made it clear soon after the trade was announced that he has no plans to report to Class AAA Tacoma.

"I'm too old for that," Ordonez said with a smile. "I want to see if another team calls."

The Mariners said they will aid his effort to land with another job.

"We're going to work something out with him the best we can," Bavasi said. "He's not hostage here, not captive here. If he wants his release, we'll give it to him."

Ellison headed home

The trade thrilled Ellison and new teammate Willie Bloomquist.

The two were close buddies and teammates at South Kitsap High School, leading the school to the 1996 state championship with a 23-0 record. Ellison moved in with the Bloomquist family during high school when a divorce and other issues left Ellison living in an apartment with friends.

"I'm excited for him to be here," Bloomquist said. "I know he's been wanting to get to Seattle for awhile."

Ellison made that abundantly clear in Oakland, where he got news of the trade less than an hour before the Giants' final spring game.

"My childhood dream was to be a Mariner," Ellison, who lives in Issaquah, told the Associated Press.

Ellison, who turns 29 Wednesday, hit .390 in 25 spring games with five doubles and nine runs batted in, drawing nine walks, stealing two bases and scoring 14 runs. His role with the Giants has mostly been as a late-inning defensive replacement. Last year, he hit .222 with two home runs and four RBI in 81 at-bats. In 2005, he appeared in 131 games and batted .264.

Bloomquist said he and Ellison haven't worn the same uniform since Legion ball, when they were 18.

"We've always hypothetically talked about it — that it would be so cool if we get the chance to play together," Bloomquist said. "We're the best of friends."

Morse, Jones, Woods

going to Tacoma

The Mariners made several other moves to lock up their 25-man and 40-man rosters.

As expected, outfielders Mike Morse and Adam Jones and left-handed pitcher Jake Woods were optioned to Class AAA Tacoma, while Morrow, Burke and left-handed pitcher Arthur Rhodes were selected from Tacoma.

The Mariners placed injured pitchers Mark Lowe (elbow surgery) and Cesar Jimenez (stress fracture in elbow) on the 60-day disabled list and designated for assignment infielder Michael Garciaparra.

There is a likelihood that Garciaparra will not be claimed by another team and remain in the organization.

All the maneuvering meant that White, a Rule 5 pick out of the Atlanta organization, and Morrow, the team's No. 1 pick last June out of Cal, had made the team.

And so had Burke, who had a scary moment on Saturday when he was hit squarely on his helmet in the ninth inning in Las Vegas. He says he's fine, but friends and teammates couldn't help but fear the worst.

"It's funny how many people called, and how many teammates came up to me and said, 'Just think about that, your last at-bat and something like that happens.' Right when I got hit, I was like, 'No!' "

Notes

• The Mariners ultimately were entranced by Morrow's power arm, a void in the pen after the trade of Rafael Soriano to Atlanta and the injury to Lowe. "He was very attractive for that reason," Hargrove said of Morrow.

• White will have to stay on the major-league roster all season or be placed on waivers. If he clears waivers, then the Braves could take him back by paying Seattle half of the original $50,000 fee the Mariners paid in the Rule 5 draft. Hargrove said that White will assume primarily a long-relief role.

• Right fielder Jose Guillen's status for today's game is still in doubt after rolling his ankle Friday in Vegas. Guillen ran Sunday and said it still was "a little sore. We'll see [today]. I'm trying to get it stabilized."

• Mariners-killer Joe Blanton will replace injured Esteban Loiaza on Tuesday in the Oakland rotation. The Mariners had been scheduled to miss Blanton, who was 4-0 with a 1.55 ERA against them last year.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com

Mariners five-day planner

Today | vs. Oakland, 3:35 p.m., FSN | M's RHP Felix Hernandez (12-14, 4.52 ERA, 2006) vs. RHP Dan Haren (14-13, 4.12).

Tuesday | vs. Oakland, 7:05 p.m., FSN | M's LHP Jarrod Washburn (8-14, 4.67) vs. RHP Joe Blanton (16-12, 4.82).

Wednesday | vs. Oakland, 7:05 p.m., Ch. 11 | M's RHP Miguel Batista (11-8, 4.58) vs. RHP Rich Harden (4-0, 4.24).

Thursday | idle

Friday | @ Cleveland, 1:05 p.m., no TV | Starting pitchers to be announced.