Name: Logan MorrisonPosition: Left Field / First Base
Team: Florida Marlins
2012 Opening Day age: 24
Contract: League minimum
Service time: 1+ years
Scouting Report:
Morrison doesn't fit the profile of a typical first base or left field type, as power is not his strongest tool. While he is capable of 20 home run seasons, Morrison uses a combination of strong plate coverage and an advanced plate approach to find success at the plate. Deep counts and two strikes don't scare Morrison, as he is more than willing to shorten up his swing and punch a ball the other way, or to simply take a walk and let his teammates hit with a runner on base. Due to the emergence of Gaby Sanchez in 2010, the Marlins moved Morrison to left field, but as he rose through the Marlins system he played roughly 80% of his games at first. He's a big guy -- roughly 6'3" and 240 lbs, so unsurprisingly he's less than impressive on the basepaths.
2011 Statistics:
462 AB, .247/.330/.468 (.797 OPS), 25 2B, 4 3B, 23 HR, 72 RBI, 2 SB, 54/99 BB/K
Why Toronto would want him:
Over the past two seasons, Adam Lind has proven unworthy of regular duty, particularly at an offensively demanding position like first base. Edwin Encarnacion has shown he is capable of playing either first base or designated hitter on a full time basis, but the other position could (and should) be addressed over the winter. Morrison could step in and immediately take over the first base duties while hitting 2nd in the linup. He would be a far more effective two-hitter than anything Toronto used this season, and would actually get on base so Bautista could hit with runners on more frequently. Morrison has not yet entered his arbitration years, so his salary would not be prohibitive.
Why Florida might trade him:
In terms of talent and salary, it would be foolish for Florida to trade away Morrison. Their front office, however, has issues with how Morrison handles himself outside of the baseball stadium, and have gone as far as to publicly call him out. A mid-season demotion to Triple-A (which was rumored to be a punishment for these activities) resulted in a grievance being filed by the MLBPA on Morrison's behalf, only further expanding the divide between the team and player. Much like the Cardinals with Colby Rasmus, some situations simply won't work if the team and player cannot get along, so the Marlins may try to get a clean break from Morrison as they enter their new stadium in 2012.
Great post..would love to see the Blue Jays pureue LoMo...what do you think Toronto would have to give up to acquire Morisson?
ReplyDeleteWith Florida (err, Miami), it's hard to know. They traded a very talented player in Cameron Maybin for a pair of relief prospects, and he was more highly regarded than Morrison. I'd float Eric Thames as an option, but like I said, it's impossible to know what their front office is thinking.
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