Justin Edmonds - Getty Images
9 months ago: WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 22: Michael Morse #38 of the Washington Nationals runs to make a play at first base against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the third inning at Nationals Park on August 22, 2011 in Washington, DC. The Washington Nationals won, 4-1. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
• Updated - 5:18 pm EST: According to MLB.com's Bill Ladson (@washingnats) the deal is a two-year deal, though the $'s are still not known. So if you were thinking "multi-year" deal meant the end of the Prince Fielder rumors, sorry, not just yet.
• Original Story: The Washington Nationals announced on Friday afternoon that they'd avoided going to arbitration with 29-year-old 1B/OF Michael Morse by agreeing on what the team is describing as a "multi-year contract extension." Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Nats in their tweeted announcements on the deal, or in the press release on the deal, but they did say on the Twitter that, "This contract was agreed upon prior to arbitration figures being exchanged and was contingent upon a since-completed physical."
A report from CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) earlier this week said the two sides had exchanged arbitration figures with the Nationals submitting $3.5M while the player's side filed at $5.0M dollars. Morse is coming off a breakout year in his seventh MLB season. The 6'5'', 230 lb slugger hit 36 doubles and 31 HR's, taking over at first after Adam LaRoche went down with a shoulder injury and posting a .303/.360/.550 slash in 146 games and 575 plate appearances over which he was worth +3.4 fWAR.
Morse avoided arbitration last winter by agreeing to a 1-year/$1.05 million dollar deal before putting together what was by far his best season at the major league level. Asked in an MLB Network Radio interview earlier this winter for the reasons behind his big year, Morse told the hosts it was just a case of finally getting an opportunity. "The biggest thing for me was I got an opportunity," Morse said, "I got an opportunity to play and I got an opportunity to get that comfortable feeling and get a chance to just relax and tell myself that, 'You know what, if I don't get a hit today, I'm going to be in there tomorrow.'"
In 276 games following the June '09 trade with Seattle that sent Ryan Langerhans to the Mariners in exchance for the oft-injured Morse, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-born White Sox' 3rd Round pick (2000), has a .295/.353/.536 slash with 51 doubles and 49 HR's in 923 plate appearnances.
More info on the deal when it's available...
1 recs | 61 comments
Day. Made.
EmilyB - January 20, 2012
+1!!!
cat daddy3000 - January 20, 2012
Yabba ... Dabba ... Dooooo!!!!!!
DaRube - January 20, 2012
Ladson just tweeted two years
no dollar figures.
Dave at District Sports Page - January 20, 2012
so you're happy, and RobBobS is happy..
and all Morse lovers are happy.. everyone is happy!
dc Roach - January 20, 2012
yes, two year deal stabilizes team salary structure
allows Rizzo to make concrete offer to Fielder knowing what he has on the table. this just makes Werth the CFer for two years.
Dave at District Sports Page - January 20, 2012
either way, Morse is in left field this year
whether they sign Fiedler or stick with LaRoche.
Dave at District Sports Page - January 20, 2012
Werth's bat plays well in center...
#jokesaboutWerth’sfirstyear
Patrick Reddington - January 20, 2012
Unless they trade Morse.
brs03 - January 20, 2012
indeed.
Dave at District Sports Page - January 20, 2012
You better duck, Morse lovers are going to start throwing stuff...
Patrick Reddington - January 20, 2012
For the record, #istillthinkhe'lleventuallybeexposed:)
Patrick Reddington - January 20, 2012
Quack
I love Michael Morse, what do you mean?
c’mon, he’s the only player in history to hit 30 home runs with a greater that 4:1 K/BB ratio. how could he be exposed?
Dave at District Sports Page - January 20, 2012
Wait, what?
Juan Gonzalez (1992) hit the most homers (43) while striking out at least four times as often (143) as he walked (35). Furthermore, Morse only struck out 3.5 times as often as he walked.
RobBobS - January 20, 2012
only... lol
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
was being facetious and trying to be funny. sorry.
Dave at District Sports Page - January 21, 2012
oh i figured that
i was laughing with, not at, you
William.Hatheway - January 21, 2012
I'm happy Morse is signed...
I definitely worry he’ll be exposed on his O…and he’ll DEFINITELY be exposed on his D.
Morse in LF and slide-and-miss Werth in CF threatens to make my eyes bleed. That combo better be for just 1 year…or, preferably, less.
Rizzo’s carefully constructed SPAD might turn into SPA with a hint of D or a helping of O.
MOAR SPADO all the time!
MissB - January 20, 2012 via mobile
I’m just curious whether this deal ends up increasing or decreasing his trade value (would probably only be marginal either way unless that 2nd year is a real doozy, I guess).
brs03 - January 20, 2012
We'd need to see the specifics
A front-loaded contract is always better for trade bait. Although it does seem less likely that Rizzo would turn around and shop the guy immediately. But, stranger things have happened…
DC_Dodger - January 20, 2012
Immediately is relative. Extension or no, they probably don’t even think of trading him before the midpoint of this season (once they know Harper is set in MLB), unless they’re blown away by an offer. But it probably all comes down to what alternatives Rizzo can find in the outfield. This gives them a bit stronger fallback position but I don’t know if I’d believe it changes whatever their primary goal would have been.
brs03 - January 20, 2012
but next years FAs are strong in CF
so im not sure we would do that
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
im replying to the Werth in CF for two years post
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
Werth could be OF 4 for 1 season
assuming we have the payroll. Harper will be cheap, Morse will be fairly cheap, and unkown CF could be expensive, but I think Werth could ride the pine if he cant get his bat going
jeff550 - January 20, 2012
not a huge fan
but one season after three screams small sample size
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
I agree
just throwing that out there
jeff550 - January 20, 2012
fair enough
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
Now sign fielder rizzo and let's be joyfull
Benson L - January 20, 2012
[Insert GIF of Morse Singing/Dancing to "Take on Me"]
Good for Morse, now go out there and mash baseballs into the forbidden zones of the league’s parks.
Any word on a Zim extension? The garbage factory known as ESPN MLB rumors had a blip about that being a logical next area of business for the Nats. Is this just a rehashing of the obvious, or is there some credence to the hearsay?
DC_Dodger - January 20, 2012
Ladson said they were talking the other day, but Kilgore later wrote that they've been talking all along...
No new developments. So that’s fwiw.
Patrick Reddington - January 20, 2012
Right and I think Zimm
has every reason to drag it out. 1.) He is coming off a down year and 2.) if the Nats make any sort of run next year there will be panic in the fanbase which will increase the pressure on ownership to get a deal done, 3.) Rendon is coming off of injury and I don’t think we should expect him to get off to a hot start (which will relieve the let Zim go and play Rendon crowd, if it exists).
Bsullivan - January 20, 2012
The "extend Zim" crowd
Could someday soon become the “dump Zim and play Rendon” crowd, but no one in there right mind (even me) would be actually in favor of that right now.
It’s not a good time for Zimm or for us to be signing a long-term agreement.
rarumberger - January 20, 2012
what about a j.zim extension
i know they took care of arb, but come on, id want him long term way more than Gio, who i like btw
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
AdamKilgoreWP:
To be clear: Nats are thrilled Morse is theirs, don’t want to trade him. If circumstances change, deal makes him a more attractive asset.
dc Roach - January 20, 2012
He was already controlled for those 2 years, no?
Mr. E - January 20, 2012
yes
dc Roach - January 20, 2012
$10.5M
acomak:
The Associated Press reports that Morse’s two-year extension is worth about $10.5 million. #nats #nationals #mlb
dc Roach - January 20, 2012
I kinda figured that it would be an annual average of around 5mil. Thanks for the update.
sullyzz - January 20, 2012
Morse speaks
from Ladson:
dc Roach - January 20, 2012
Yeah, not breaking the bank like that greedy free agent guy is trying to!!
Patrick Reddington - January 20, 2012
Yeah, crane kick!
RobBobS - January 20, 2012
Wow. That's big.
RobBobS - January 20, 2012
Yes, big
Like Morse’s tendency to swing, as has been exposed above. Big and good. Love us some Moarse. Thanks for the crane, and happy birthday.
ParkShark - January 20, 2012
My all-time favorite #Nats/#Expos to cover: 1. Vidro, 2. Cabrera, 3. Harris, 4. Zimmerman, 5. Carroll 6, Johnson, 7. C. Cordero, 8. Morgan, 9. Dunn, 10. Willingham. #MLB
AND THAT is a tweet by Bill Ladson. I feel like it explains quite a bit.
Bsullivan - January 20, 2012
HEY, lay off Johnson
top 30 of about 10,000 with 7,000 PAs in BB% all time
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
Thrillie Harris above Zimmerman
is this real life?
jeff550 - January 20, 2012
Ladson is sometimes inexplicable.
Heh.
MissB - January 20, 2012 via mobile
Fixed.
Ladson is sometimes
inexplicableincomprehensible.Jorgath - January 21, 2012
Fixed
Ladson is
sometimesinexplicable.jbg2772 - January 21, 2012
Seems like the Nats are taking steps to make their budget more predictable
To me that screams big trade or signing of Fielder or Zim to a long-term deal.
Bsullivan - January 20, 2012
They only got 36 players on the 40-man roster.
HG_VA - January 20, 2012
why am i double posting
i really dont think im that special. must be the ipad…
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
Yup, its the ipad
my Ipod does the same thing
or were both that special
jeff550 - January 20, 2012
Another great name in out minor league system we signed today
Austin Bibens-Dirkx sign a minor league deal with the nats
jeff550 - January 20, 2012
i just custom ordered his jersey to offer as a federal baseball fantasy league prize...
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
which is saying something
because i got killed last year
speaking of which, i just signed on for a suicide FBB mission, in a league versus two fantasy writers, including the head guy fot the hardball times … for cold cash!
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
I hope you enjoy the pressure :)
dc Roach - January 20, 2012
im screwed probably
but it so fun playing against good, committed players. otoh I managed fifth in my first season as a replacement in one of those guys other leagues last year … and have Stras, Harper, and j.zim as redrafts at 15th, 16th, and 17th pick.
oops, forgot the most boring thing in life is someone elses fantasy team!
William.Hatheway - January 20, 2012
Maybe I can avoid crashing and burning in the playoffs like last year
The Mxylplyx jersey is mine.
The Herndon Kid - January 20, 2012
Am I the only one that thinks FBB needs MOAR SEVERINO Shirts?
jeff550 - January 20, 2012
Quite possibly
But embrace it. Somewhere out there, an Atahualpa is smiling.
RobBobS - January 21, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Federal Baseball to post a comment.