The Miami Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton the richest contract in MLB history, and that was only the start of their offseason maneuvering.
They've traded for Dee Gordon and Mat Latos, two players who immediately make them better, and Tuesday the Marlins reportedly signed slugger Michael Morse to a two-year contract.
Morse is expected to play first base for the Marlins, adding another power bat to a lineup that's already centered around Stanton. Word hasn't trickled out yet about how much Morse will make for his two seasons. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald was the first to report the signing.
Morse is a Florida native, so this is a "going home" move for him. Morse could split time with Garrett Jones at first, or if he's healthy and hitting well, the job could be all his. That second scenario would make Marlins brass happy. Morse has mostly played outfield in his career, and he could play there if needed, but the Marlins already have a young, talented outfield with Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna.
After an up-and-down career, Morse and his power are still romanticized around baseball. His 2011 season — in which he hit 31 homers with 65 RBIs and an OPS of .910 for the Washington Nationals — is a past that so many teams are hopeful he can revive. But he didn't with the Mariners or Orioles.
The best Morse has been in recent memory was with the Giants last season. He missed a good chunk of time because of an oblique injury, but finished the season with 16 homers, 61 RBIs and an .811 OPS. Since it's still fresh in our minds, people will also remember his thrilling pinch-hit homer in the NLCS, then his four RBIs in the World Series.
The Marlins haven't been the darlings of the offseason. Chicago leads the league in that category. But the Marlins have improved their roster enough to make them contenders in the NL East next season. The Phillies are breaking down. The Braves are retooling. The Mets have the pitching, but the offense is a question mark. The Nats are clearly the class of the NL East, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Marlins challenging for second place in 2015.
The Marlins improved by 15 wins last season and they're looking for more of that in 2015 by adding power and speed. One of their weak spots after last year was second base, so the addition of Gordon, a speedy All-Star last year with the Dodgers, is an obvious improvement. Latos helps the young pitching rotation, which should have ace Jose Fernandez returning by midseason. And Morse gives them more power potential.
The Marlins could use another quality starting pitcher, but as they sit now, these aren't the Marlins we've used as a punchline. These made-over, more mature Marlins can contend.
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