Does the Logan Morrison Signing Make Sense for the Twins?

I love this acquisition because it means Grossman is not starting regularly. He is a very good OBP guy and he will make a decent bat off the bench. Most days Mauer and Morrison will both be in the lineup between 1B/DH. If Sano plays at DH or 1B some game days, then Escobar plays third, Mauer or Morrison takes the other slot, and LoMo could also potentially spell Rosario or Kepler. 

Many people forget that LoMo has also played 254 career games in the outfield. I have always wanted 25 guys who can play and roster flexibility so everyone can actually play by moving some people around from time to time to accommodate. 

Well, you are the President of the "Baseball Player Positional Flexibility" Club.    I'd be disappointed if you didn't want that. 

Love the signing.    Anytime you can improve the roster, I'm all for it.    As many have said, looks like it's either Vargas or Grossman that is the odd man out.    I'd be willing to bet that Vargas is out given his limits in the field.    Would be nice if Vargas had a option left to have some value in a trade, but I don't think he has much value in a trade outside of a throw in of a bigger trade.

One reason I like the deal is that it sends a clear message to Mauer:

"If you want to come back in 2019 you are going to need to earn it, big fella"

Seemed a week ago Joe had the open invite to come back so long as he wanted to.  That may have changed and I think that is a good thing.  

Really like him slotted in at DH instead of a Grossman, Escobar, etc. This guy, when healthy, can crush the ball.

You can't tell me adding a 25-30 HR caliber power bat into the DH slot in this lineup is a bad thing at this point.

 

I can if its Napoli.    I like this signing so much better.

One reason I like the deal is that it sends a clear message to Mauer:

"If you want to come back in 2019 you are going to need to earn it, big fella"

 

Seemed a week ago Joe had the open invite to come back so long as he wanted to.  That may have changed and I think that is a good thing.

Granite has options so I would think he fits better as the 4th man on the bench. He can be sent to AAA when a 13th pitcher is needed.

They don’t need to start the season that way though. They can start with a bench of Escobar, Adrianza, Garver and Grossman. That can last as long until there is a need for a 13th pitcher and then someone will be DFA’d.

Neither Grossman or Vargas have any trade value. How could they? Good DHs can’t get a contract in this market.

Doubt Vargas is worth any more than a throwin on a trade, more likely a release candidate.  More likely Grossman is traded, since do not see a role for him here.  Twins still need one more bench type. 

I can't see either Vargas or Grossman having much trade value at all to other teams. Too many other players with similar skills still looking for jobs. I'd imagine one or the other, or both, being put on waivers if there is a numbers crunch by the end of spring training.

Grossman is a right handed bat.  I would say Granite is the guy who has to worry.

At least Granite has options.  Grossman is good at walking against lefties, but that's about it.

Danny Valencia anyone?  Mashes lefties, one year removed from 68 games at 3rd (albeit below average), plays a little corner OF,  defensive replacement at 1st (on Mauer's off days), might be had on a minor league deal

We're gonna need a new nickname for him. If I have to hear "LoMo" for two years, I'm going to start punting kittens into one of our 10,000 lakes.

I think a RH bat who can play corner OF makes so much more sense.

 What free agent OFer other than Martinez would that describe?

Most of the left handed hitters in the division play for Cleveland and Minnesota. This can be a smart move for the Twins considering the pitching makeup of Chicago, Detroit, and Kansas City.

I would personally prefer a righty as the 1B backup since the current 1B is a lefty, but whatever. I can't fault their logic, but the Twins have to be careful about becoming one dimensional.

Makes complete sense.

Last year, Andrew Miller had better stats against righties. Who are the other lefty relievers to worry about?

Yup. He has had better stats vs RHB´s for the last five seasons.

Carlos Gomez, Matt Holliday, Carlos Gonzalez, Jose Bautista, Austin Jackson, off the top of my head.

Trades, too.

Gonzalez, is a LH hitter. I forgot about Jackson. He had a nice year last year and is still in his prime.  That would have been a decent move but he is the only FA that would have move the needle. Gomez had a good year last year too but he was bad a couple years before that so I would not have cared for him.  Holiday has been declining for about the last 5 years so I don't think he is a difference maker and Bautista had an OPS+ of 76 last year and will be 37 this year.

Gonzalez, is a LH hitter. I forgot about Jackson. He had a nice year last year and is still in his prime. That would have been a decent move but he is the only FA that would have move the needle. Gomez had a good year last year too but he was bad a couple years before that so I would not have cared for him. Holiday has been declining for about the last 5 years so I don't think he is a difference maker and Bautista had an OPS+ of 76 last year and will be 37 this year.

Right. I think Morrison is better than those options even though he's left handed.

The Twins have spent years without having a strong, consistent option (and in particular, that is a power threat) from the DH spot. There have been many many days that the DH has been a utility infielder or even the back-up catcher.

Morrison probably won’t hit 38 home runs this season. (We said that about Dozier last year too.) But his signing, his left-handedness, his on-base/slugging combo - on a cheap contract with an option - is a huge win for the Twins, and a great step in the direction of fielding the strongest line-up possible. I see nothing not to like about this move.

Well done, Thad Levine. And Odorizzi, too, if he really played a role.

And Morrison has had an OPS higher than the .730s once since 2012 and isn’t an OFer.

There’s nothing wrong with adding Morrison, but we’ll see both how he hits and how he gets ABs. And I still would have preferred a RH hitting 4th OFer....which were available.

You are absolutely right Morrison had a career year but given the money we are talking it makes no sense to assume this decision had any bearing on them not signing a RH OFer.  AT least Morrison is in his prime and its reasonable to believe last year was a break-out season. 

I also think it is a stretch to say their were multiple viable options available.  The only guy you listed that was considered in the top 50 available free agents was Gomez. Gomez was good last year and he might have a couple good seasons left in him.  Perhaps the front office did not believe in him or he simply might not have been interested in coming back here.  I just not that as simple as there were several good options.