a strong starting pitcher, and had initially pursued Rich Harden, who was acquired as a free agent by the Texas Rangers. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. offered to trade Lee to Seattle if he and the Phillies could successfully acquire Halladay from the Blue Jays. Lee was taken by surprise upon hearing of the trade, which had occurred amidst talks of a contract extension with the Phillies, but said he understood why Philadelphia would take "an opportunity to get the best pitcher in baseball" instead. The Halladay—Lee switch was the first time in MLB history that two Cy Young-winning pitchers had been traded on the same day. That February, Lee underwent foot surgery to remove a bone spur that had broken loose. The surgery was considered minor, and Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik expressed confidence that it would not impede Lee's preparation for the upcoming season. Lee's notorious short temper appeared to return during spring training, when he was suspended for five regular-season games after throwing a fastball over the head of opposing pitcher Chris Snyder during an exhibition game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 15. Zduriencik told reporters that he expected Lee, who the Mariners intended to pair with ace Felix Hernandez at the top of the starting rotation, would appeal the decision. Upon appeal, the suspension and fine were rescinded on April 21, with Lee and the Mariners' head athletic trainer successfully arguing that the throw was not intentional. Rather, Lee's recovery from foot surgery, as well as the abdominal strain that he had suffered earlier in the game during a collision with Snyder, had caused Lee to throw a wild pitch. Lee had been placed on the 15-day disabled list for the abdominal strain on April 4, retroactive to March 26, causing him to miss the start of the 2010 MLB season. He returned to the mound on April 30, 2010, earning a no decision by striking out eight Rangers in seven innings. The game went into extra innings before Elvis Andrus scored on a wild pitch from Mariners reliever Brandon League, allowing Texas to take the game 2–0 in the 12th inning. Lee's first win with the Mariners came on May 11, when he allowed one run in innings of a 5–1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Lee proved an overall success in Seattle, posting an 8–3 record and 2.34 ERA in 13 starts,