FORT MYERS, Fla. — Jake Odorizzi has only been a member of the Twins for a week or so, but he’s already doing his part to recruit some of his former high-profile Tampa Bay Rays teammates to the Upper Midwest.
According to a person with direct knowledge, the Twins reached a one-year agreement with Logan Morrison, a 30-year-old first baseman coming off a 38-homer breakout season with the Rays. The deal, which carries a $6.5 million guarantee according to national reports, includes a vesting option that would give Morrison a “reasonable chance” to earn $16.5 million over two season, the person said.
The deal is pending a physical, but Morrison took 601 plate appearances after landing on the disabled list twice in 2016 with strains to his right forearm and left wrist. He also missed two months with a strained hamstring in 2014 while with the Seattle Mariners.
“I think, first and foremost, you’re getting a guy with a lot of offensive potential,” Odorizzi said of Morrison, his Rays teammate the past two seasons. “When he’s healthy he’s a 40-homer guy. There’s not too many of those guys sitting around on the couch at the end of February.”
Morrison, a left-handed hitter with a .330 career on-base percentage, could give the Twins added thump at designated hitter and additional insurance against injury setbacks for Joe Mauer and/or Miguel Sano, who figures to see plenty of DH time coming off November shin surgery.
In addition to Morrison, Odorizzi has talked recently with free-agent right-hander Alex Cobb, to whom the Twins have been connected at various times this offseason,
With Morrison the Twins, who continue to shop for another front-line starting pitcher, would have 18 players under contract for around $113.3 million, just north of the club record $113.2 million they spent to open 2011.That includes a $2.5 million non-guaranteed deal with veteran right-hander Anibal Sanchez, Morrison’s former teammate with the Miami Marlins.
And Morrison, who saw regular time in left field with the Miami Marlins as recently as 2012, isn’t merely a one-dimensional player.
“The thing that gets talked about a lot is his bat but his defense is really above average,” Odorizzi said. “It seems like it’s thrown by the wayside just because of his offensive side of the ball, but you get a good defensive player and you get a good teammate too.”
Morrison, whose one-year deal last year with the Rays had a maximum value of $3.5 million, had never earned more than $4.2 million in a season. That came in 2016 in his final year of arbitration.
He reportedly turned down a two-year, $20 million guarantee from the Cleveland Indians during the offseason. The Indians opted to sign Yonder Alonso for $16 million over two years instead, leaving Morrison with 19 chances this season to revisit that decision.
Known as a free spirit who ran afoul of the Marlins’ front office at times with his once-lively Twitter presence, Morrison has matured considerably over the years. He married in 2013 and became a father in 2015, the same year he stopped tweeting.
“I think he’d fit in well,” Odorizzi said. “Yeah, he’s a louder personality, but once you get to know somebody, you can see it’s all in good team fashion. Actually he’s a very passionate guy about wanting to win. He’s always been a great teammate to me. I would stick my neck out for him on coming here and vouching for him especially.”
A Twins team coming off an 85-win season in which it finished 17 games behind the first-place Cleveland Indians has already fortified its bullpen with three veteran additions and added Odorizzi to the rotation.
“In bridging the gap and trying to catch the Indians, you want as much talent as you can on the roster, and (Morrison) brings a lot of talent to the roster,” Odorizzi said. “I’d be excited to have him here and I’m sure a lot of the guys would.”
Reputations are hard to shake, however, which could be one reason a proven hitter like Morrison remained unsigned into late February. Even his hometown Kansas City Royals, who lost first baseman Eric Hosmer to the San Diego Padres, failed to pounce.
“He’s a bigger personality, yes, but it’s not in a bad way,” Odorizzi said. “The direction of it is all good. He’s not the same guy that he was when he was tweeting out all kinds of stuff years ago. I’ve known him the last two years. I can vouch for him. He’s going to come in and he would be himself.”