Sources: Logan Morrison agrees to re-sign with Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays and first baseman Logan Morrison agreed on a one-year, $2.5 million deal, sources told Yahoo Sports, reuniting the two after Morrison’s strong second half and thinning the oversaturated market for sluggers.
The move is not yet official as the Rays, who have a full 40-man roster, will need to clear a spot before adding Morrison.
While signing Morrison wouldn’t necessarily preclude the Rays from going after other low-priced sluggers, such as National League home run champion Chris Carter, it does give the team a solid option at first, with Brad Miller presumably filling the second-base role after the trade of Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Morrison, 29, rebounded from a miserable start in which he barely hit .100 over the season’s first six weeks to finish with a .275/.350/.498 line from May 16 on. He’ll join a lineup that added left fielder Colby Rasmus and expects catcher Wilson Ramos to return from knee surgery early in the season.
The Rays could continue to make other moves, whether it’s trading another pitcher from their deep rotation – they dealt Drew Smyly to Seattle earlier this winter – or adding one more free agent bat, according to sources.
The crop of sluggers, meanwhile, remains robust, even with Morrison agreeing to a deal and Mark Reynolds signing a minor league pact with Colorado. Among those available: Carter, Mike Napoli, Pedro Alvarez, Justin Morneau, Adam Lind, Ryan Howard and Billy Butler.
