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MLB New York Mets

Michael Morse Is Perfect Fit With New York Mets

By @Bigwoolf5

Michael Morse, New York Mets

John Rieger-USA Today Sports

The New York Mets are a team on the rise, and the prevailing thought is that the team is a shortstop and left fielder away from being a true contender. Michael Morse is a free agent once again after winning a championship in his one season with the San Francisco Giants. He might be the answer in left field for the Mets next season as he is a relatively cheap option with big-time power.

Last offseason, Met fans were enraged when the team decided to sign Chris Young to a one-year, $7.5 million deal because there were better players who received similar money including Morse and Nelson Cruz. The Mets will continue to try to find cheaper options that will improve the team as opposed to spending big money on free agents. After his performance last season, Cruz is going to garner a lucrative contract, so he is more than likely not an option for the Mets.

Morse is coming off a season where he put up decent numbers, but they were mostly underwhelming for a guy with his power. He signed a one-year, $6.5 million deal with the Giants last season and may be valued at about the same amount again this offseason. He is a right-handed power hitter who can hit in the middle of the order behind Curtis Granderson, David Wright and Lucas Duda, and would provide a much-needed additional power threat.

Now, there are reasons why Morse was only given $6.5 million last season. He has only played more than 100 games three times in his career for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is injuries, but he also was not given an every day opportunity before 2011 with the Washington Nationals. In 2011, he hit .302 with 31 home runs and 95 RBIs.

Another negative to Morse’s game is his defense in left field. He is not an incredibly mobile player, and his defense has been questioned so much that many have said that he needs to go to the AL to become a designated hitter.

The Mets, however, are the one team in the NL that can get away with having Morse in left field every day, and that is because of Gold Glove award-winning center fielder Juan Lagares. Lagares covers so much ground in center field that he would be able to make up for at least some of Morse’s deficiencies in left field.

Many fans of the Mets wouldn’t be happy with Morse being the big free agent acquisition this offseason, but when you look at it realistically, he would be a perfect fit. The Mets are very close to becoming a contender and they don’t necessarily need stars — they need a little bit more offense to back up their great pitching staff.

Morse will come cheap and provide a really good hitter (.281 career batting average) in the middle of the lineup, so the Mets’ interest in him makes all of the sense in the world.

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