Kansas City Royals offered Logan Morrison contract
By David Hill
The Kansas City Royals attempted to replace their All Star first baseman with a hometown kid. However, it was too little, too late.
Throughout the offseason, there were plenty of tales about how Logan Morrison wanted to play for the Kansas City Royals. He was the local kid, looking to play for his hometown team. Even though the Royals priority was to sign Eric Hosmer, it appeared as though Morrison was the Plan B, a solid fit for a year or two.
When the Royals lost Hosmer to the Padres, it was thought that it would just be a matter of time before Morrison was brought on board. Instead, the hometown kid signed with the Minnesota Twins, agreeing to a one year deal to serve as their designated hitter. Yes, the Royals addressed the position by inking World Series hero Lucas Duda, but the signing was fairly underwhelming.
Naturally, there were plenty of questions as to why the Royals did not pursue Morrison. After all, he had done everything but hand general manager Dayton Moore a blank contract and tell him to fill out the details. However, as it turns out, the Royals did make Morrison an offer to come home.
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Instead, Morrison turned down the contract, much to the surprise of everyone that figured he would be in Kansas City. Instead, he cited his desire to be part of a playoff team, as he is looking to make the postseason for the first time in his career. Considering the Twins performance in 2017, it is understandable why he would choice Minnesota as a destination.
Should Morrison replicate his performance from 2017, he could end up being that piece the Twins need in the lineup. He produced a .246/.353/.516 batting line, with a career best 38 homers and a 135 OPS+. On a team devoid of left handed power, Morrison would seem to be exactly what the Twins desired.
While Morrison helps the Twins lineup, there are still plenty of questions about the ballclub. Minnesota has not truly addressed their rotation, despite their interest in Yu Darvish. However, with several solid options available in free agency, the Twins still have time to rectify that issue. If they do sign one of that trio, Morrison could get his wish.
Logan Morrison wanted to make the postseason. Given the state of the Kansas City Royals and their rebuild, he bypassed his hometown team to join the Minnesota Twins. That decision certainly makes a lot of sense.