Free Agent Left Field Options for San Francisco Giants
Oct 16, 2014; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants pinch hitter
Michael Morse(38) hits a solo home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the eighth inning of game five of the 2014 NLCS playoff at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Besides Hunter Pence, no outside player in recent years has endeared themselves to San Francisco fans quicker than the big man Morse. His laid-back attitude and child-like glee when playing the game, not to mention his timely hitting, instantly turned him into a fan favorite in the Bay.
Morse was signed in the offseason heading into the 2014 campaign with the idea that he’d be the starting left fielder. He spent much of the first half there, but following an injury to Brandon Belt, Morse was shifted from left field to first base. His defensive deficiencies are much better hidden at first base, but he’s not exactly a terrible defender in left field either. The main problem is that Morse is slow. He’s like a snail that’s slithered through molasses slow.
But for what Morse lacks in defensive prowess, he makes up for in offensive explosiveness. In 131 games in 2014, he hit .279 with 16 home runs and 61 RBI’s. In 10 postseason games, he added five RBI’s, and hit the game-tying solo home run in the eighth inning of game five of the NLCS.
He missed a big portion of September and early October while dealing with an oblique injury, and his history with injuries is cause for concern. Splitting time every now and again in left field with Blanco could help alleviate some of the injury problems he has dealt with.
It’s been stated that Morse is not high on the Giants’ list right now, as defense in left field has become more of a concern. However, if the Giants do want to bring back Pence’s best friend, they’ll need to act quickly. Morse has gotten interest from the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins, among others.