In an interesting move, the San Francisco Giants have reunited with a member of their 2014 Championship club.
In 2014, the San Francisco Giants won their third World Series in five years. A solid contributor for that club was Michael Morse, who hit .279/.336/.475 (130 OPS+) with 16 home runs in the regular season. Only Hunter Pence and Buster Posey hit more homers for the Giants (Pablo Sandoval also hit 16).
In the postseason, Morse hit a .300/.318/.500 through 22 plate appearances. He also hit a memorable home run in Game 5 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Despite shaky defense in left field, Morse’s solid campaign with the Giants earned him a two-year, $16 million deal with the Miami Marlins the following offseason. Through he was signed to give the Fish a bit bat at first base, Morse hit only .213/.276/313 with four home runs through 53 games before being sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a complicated three-way trade.
Morse was quickly flipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he spent the remainder of 2015, and hit a respectable .275 with one homer. He was released by the Pirates in April of 2016.
It is now being reported that the Giants are taking a flyer on their old friend. According to Matt Eddy of Baseball America, San Francisco has signed both Morse and Justin Ruggiano to minor league deals. The Giants signed veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins earlier this month as well.
#Giants sign veteran position players 1B Mike Morse, SS Jimmy Rollins and OF Justin Ruggiano to minor league deals.
— Matt Eddy (@MattEddyBA) December 24, 2016
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
Should Morse crack the Giants’ 25-man roster next spring, it will be interesting to see how he fits into the team’s plans. San Francisco already has an everyday first baseman, and a good one, in Brandon Belt. When it comes to left field, Giants General Manager Bobby Evans recently said that a platoon of Mac Williamson and Jarrett Parker would be a “comfortable” option, according to KNBR. Furthermore, Morse had a -25.4 UZR/150 in left field for the Giants in 2014.
However, Morse, who hit 31 home runs in a season with the Washington Nationals back in 2011, could still make a difference as a pinch-hitting power hitter in the National League. Though his power seems to have declined in recent years, the 34-year-old may still be able to provide a relatively potent bench bat for the Giants in 2017, which may be the best role for him at this point in his career.
Next: New York Mets: Is d’Arnaud the Answer Behind the Plate?
Ruggiano, also 34, has slashed .258/.322/.439 across parts of eight MLB seasons, and hit a combined 31 home runs for the Miami Marlins between 2012-13. Ruggiano may also present another interesting option for the San Francisco Giants next spring.