Michael Morse "almost certain" to join the Orioles (Update: Acquired for Avery))

[Crazysilver03]

Markakis has killed us this year, love him too, we should definitely NOT pick up his option. I am not even sure he should guaranteed a starting spot if his power doesn't return next season.

Too bad Buck has 15M+1 reasons to play him next year.

[Tx Oriole]

From Jim Bowden

@JimBowdenESPNxm: Duquette: "Morse will be used in LF or RF depending on the stadium..also at DH..will face LHP and some RHP" XM 89

I thought this deserved its own thread. Benching Markakis? Or moving Nick to DH?

What say you?

I am letting DD and Buck handle it.

[weams]

I am letting DD and Buck handle it.

Yeah. And I think this is part of the greater thread.

[weams]

My name is not Bob and I have never been incarcerated(unless you count spending a night in the White Marsh drunk tank when I was 19).

So maybe

His name isn't Bob either

[Frobby]

I think it is going to be exciting to see what Buck does with Morse. Buck is a team first guy and he demands that his players be the same way.

Morse is a guy who:

1) Hates to DH and carries a career 515 OPS as a DH. Probably because he doesn't want to encourage any manager to play him at DH. Add to that this off season Morse will be a FA and he doesn't want anyone to think of him as a DH.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/washington-nationals-michael-morse-on-trade-block-but-opposed-to-being-DH-010813

For a guy who for the most part is an intelligent poster, you just love to cite hitting splits that are based on samples too small to be meaningful. Morse has 113 PA as a DH in a career spanning 1997 PA. His splits as a DH are pretty meaningless under those circumstances. And you have no basis at all to claim that he probably hits poorly there "because he doesn't want to encourage any manager to play him at DH."

I can tell you that when Morse was with the Nats, he was extremely well liked in the clubhouse, and there were no problems with him whatsoever. And it's one thing to say, when you are a free agent, that you don't want to play DH and are looking for a team that will play you in the field, and it is quite something else to cop an attitude about it if a manager plays you at DH in the middle of a pennant race. I have very little doubt that Morse will be happy to be moving to a contending team and will happily play whatever role Buck asks him to play.

[tntoriole]

For a guy who for the most part is an intelligent poster, you just love to cite hitting splits that are based on samples too small to be meaningful. Morse has 113 PA as a DH in a career spanning 1997 PA. His splits as a DH are pretty meaningless under those circumstances. And you have no basis at all to claim that he probably hits poorly there "because he doesn't want to encourage any manager to play him at DH."

I can tell you that when Morse was with the Nats, he was extremely well liked in the clubhouse, and there were no problems with him whatsoever. And it's one thing to say, when you are a free agent, that you don't want to play DH and are looking for a team that will play you in the field, and it is quite something else to cop an attitude about it if a manager plays you at DH in the middle of a pennant race. I have very little doubt that Morse will be happy to be moving to a contending team and will happily play whatever role Buck asks him to play.

Great background info about Morse who I have not often seen. Thanks!

[eddie83]

I will be shocked if Buck sits Nick for Morse. I would think he rests Nate vs lefties and then uses him for late inning defense if we are winning. I think it will be interesting to see how much Morse DH's and Wilson sits vs RHP. There isn't any point in getting him if he isn't going to play.

[NJ BIRD FAN]

What's hard to understand? The O's apparently have a tiny budget and they just spent $1M on a guy who's been over a win below replacement this year. While there's some chance it works out and Morse hits half a dozen homers and they make a playoff run, looks to me like the most likely outcome is the O's get pretty much nothing for $1M.

Apples and oranges. A guy on a small budget can rent a limo for a night for 700 bucks. He he isn't going to sign a long term lease at the same 700 a month. This 1 million dollars means nothing as it relates to the overall budget. Don't try and create an issue that isn't there.

[Larry18]

For a guy who for the most part is an intelligent poster, you just love to cite hitting splits that are based on samples too small to be meaningful. Morse has 113 PA as a DH in a career spanning 1997 PA. His splits as a DH are pretty meaningless under those circumstances. And you have no basis at all to claim that he probably hits poorly there "because he doesn't want to encourage any manager to play him at DH."

I can tell you that when Morse was with the Nats, he was extremely well liked in the clubhouse, and there were no problems with him whatsoever. And it's one thing to say, when you are a free agent, that you don't want to play DH and are looking for a team that will play you in the field, and it is quite something else to cop an attitude about it if a manager plays you at DH in the middle of a pennant race. I have very little doubt that Morse will be happy to be moving to a contending team and will happily play whatever role Buck asks him to play.

Just to add a little more to your post.

30 of the PA were in 2005, when he was a 23 year old shortstop. His AB's in 2012 were confined in June, which was just after he came off the DL for a strained lat that kept him out for the first two months of the season. A majority of his AB his season occurred after he returned from a quad injury. Like many "position" players, his time at DH largely coincided with other factors which Occam's Razor would deem more relevant to poor production.

[wildcard]

For a guy who for the most part is an intelligent poster, you just love to cite hitting splits that are based on samples too small to be meaningful. Morse has 113 PA as a DH in a career spanning 1997 PA. His splits as a DH are pretty meaningless under those circumstances. And you have no basis at all to claim that he probably hits poorly there "because he doesn't want to encourage any manager to play him at DH."

I can tell you that when Morse was with the Nats, he was extremely well liked in the clubhouse, and there were no problems with him whatsoever. And it's one thing to say, when you are a free agent, that you don't want to play DH and are looking for a team that will play you in the field, and it is quite something else to cop an attitude about it if a manager plays you at DH in the middle of a pennant race. I have very little doubt that Morse will be happy to be moving to a contending team and will happily play whatever role Buck asks him to play.

Oh really. Morse is a very poor fielder. There seems to be no argument from anyone on that. He played 76 games for the Mariners. How many at DH? Seven. Why? Rosenthal explained that very well in the article I posted. Morse is opposed to DHing. You may want to think something else but I am giving you facts and you are talking opinion.

DD comes out and saying Morse will possibly play the OF? Why when the O's need help at DH? I think we have intelligent readers that can figure that out.

There was no problem in DC because they don't have the DH in the NL. The most he could DH was a few games against AL teams. I am not saying that Morse is a terrible guy. He just does not like DHing. If he clearly tells everyone that is the fact and you trade for him anyway, who's fault is the mismatch. Not his. Buyer Beware.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Oh really. Morse is a very poor fielder. There seems to be no argument from anyone on that. He played 76 games for the Mariners. How many at DH? Seven. Why? Rosenthal explained that very well in the article I posted. Morse is opposed to DHing. You may want to think something else but I am giving you facts and he are talking opinion.

DD comes out and saying Morse will possibility play the OF? Why when the O's need help at DH? I think we have intelligent readers that can figure that out.

There was no problem in DC because they don't have the DH in the NL. The most he could DH was a few games against AL teams. I am not saying the Morse is a terrible guy. He just does not like DHing. If he clearly tells everyone that is the fact and you trade for him anyway, who's fault is the mismatch. Not his. Buyer Beware.

Virtually every starting player dislikes DH'ing.

[larrytt]

DD comes out and saying Morse will possibility play the OF? Why when the O's need help at DH?

Why do you think we need help at DH right now? We did before, but now we have Benemit against righties, Valencia against lefties. Betemit has a career OPS against righties of .822, including .859 last year. Valencia has a lifetime OPS against lefties of .849 in 387 PA, including .947 this year in 61 PA. (As I write this Valencia just homered against lefty Sabathia.) I would think Morse's primary role would be in the outfield against lefties in place of Markakis or McLouth. (Unless, of course, Valencia or Betemit are "better" defensively in the outfield - all play the outfield at least sometimes, and none are good defensively.)

[wildcard]

Virtually every starting player dislikes DH'ing.

Chris Davis just said the other day in a TV interview that he liked to DH. i have not heard any Orioles say anything about not liking DHing. Except Morse.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Chris Davis just said the other day in a TV interview that he liked to DH. i have not heard any Orioles say anything about not liking DHing. Except Morse.

Funny, I thought I heard just the opposite from Davis in the offseason. Not to mention Luke Scott, Didn't Reynolds say he didn't care for DHing? Maybe the guys we have DHing now are happy to have ML jobs.

[wildcard]

Why do you think we need help at DH right now? We did before, but now we have Benemit against righties, Valencia against lefties. Betemit has a career OPS against righties of .822, including .859 last year. Valencia has a lifetime OPS against lefties of .849 in 387 PA, including .947 this year in 61 PA. (As I write this Valencia just homered against lefty Sabathia.) I would think Morse's primary role would be in the outfield against lefties in place of Markakis or McLouth. (Unless, of course, Valencia or Betemit are "better" defensively in the outfield - all play the outfield at least sometimes, and none are good defensively.)

Betemit does not seem to be in top form. The O's were trying to extend his rehab but apparently he didn't agree to that. O's are trying to win to contend. There is not much time left. OJT on the major league roster is probably not the best idea.