Mauer and Morrison clear waivers

[Otto von Ballpark]

Morrison's pact includes a '19 club option for $8 million with a $1 million buyout. The option will increase to $8.5 million if he reaches 500 plate appearances or $9.5 million with a $1.5 million buyout if he reaches 550, and a $9.5 million option will automatically vest for '19 if he makes it to 600 PAs. However, with less than two months remaining in the regular season, the 30-year-old is still 157 plate appearances shy of 500.

Morrison is on pace for 506 PA right now, so if we keep playing him, the 2019 option cost will go up.

 

I posted this elsewhere, but Morrison only got $6.5 mil guaranteed (including buyout) coming off his 2017 season. Doesn't look like there is any chance we pick up his 2019 option at a net cost of $7-7.5 mil, even with a solid finish.

[mazeville]

 

Morrison career MLB numbers: .240 .326 .429 .755
Austin career MLB numbers: .230 .287 .459 .746

Austin minors: .285 .363 .473 .836
Morrison minors: .287 .378 .458 .836


Austin has five minor league seasons in which he OPS more than 850.

Trade Morrison for a bag of balls, get Austin up with the Twins now. He’s their starting 1B for next year.

 

I cannot agree with this more.

 

Twins are not going to compete. It's increasingly likely that Morrison will play elsewhere next year. Find a taker for him and get Austin some regular at-bats the rest of the season. 

[jokin]

 

This!  .... With the provision that his K-Rate continues to trend in the current direction ... 24+% in July and starting August at 22+% .... It would awesome if he ended August under 20%, and that could get him a cup of coffee .... Beating July certainly should start him in AAA for 2019 .... I would expect a dip in April due to more off-speed and benders, and that will be the real test on his ability to continue adjusting and fast tracking to the big club

 

 

 

Oh god, I hope not.

 

If the team wants to start 2019 with a 1B platoon and Austin is part of that package, okay... I don't love it and it's not optimal, but I can take it if...

 

The real prize here is Rooker, who has an .859 OPS in Chattanooga right now. Either get a real first baseman or aim to have Rooker in Minnesota no later than June of 2019.

 

Yep. Which is why I've been advocating to get Rooker to AAA now. He can address his K issues while facing more breaking balls better at that level, and hopefully in the process, accelerate a successful June 2019, or sooner, debut in the Twins starting lineup.

 

(Another solution is re-signing Escobar in free agency and sticking Sano over at 1B until Rooker is ready.)

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

...and Austin has an .850 OPS in AAA right now. 

He's also three years older with kinda bad MLB numbers in limited time.

 

I'm not saying Austin can't be a useful piece (though his positional limitation is a problem) but I am saying the Twins should not roll into 2019 with him pencilled in at first base (which was literally the point of the post I quoted).

[yarnivek1972]

Absolutely. In Morrison's case, it gives you a team and a baseline for formulating a return -- you can say "his salary is X, do you want to pay it, or what minor leaguers do you think have equal or less value than that?"

Well, we have this ball boy down in low A. He’s a hot prospect...

[Ben Noble]

 

He's also three years older with kinda bad MLB numbers in limited time.

 

I'm not saying Austin can't be a useful piece (though his positional limitation is a problem) but I am saying the Twins should not roll into 2019 with him pencilled in at first base (which was literally the point of the post I quoted).

 

That's totally fair. Austin has actually put up very good numbers in MLB against LHP in limited AB, I would be okay rolling into 2019 with him penciled into a platoon with Mauer at first base...the operative words here being 'okay' and 'penciled.'

[yarnivek1972]

How about a quasi-platoon with Cave and Austin?

 

For my money, Cave has earned the right to be penciled into fairly regular playing time in 2019. On the hope (absolutely not the assumption) that Buxton looks like a MLB player next year, I think getting him regular starts in RF while sliding Kepler over to 1b would be a workable plan.

 

Of course, that is also predicated on Sano sticking at third, by no means a certainty.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I think you are looking at wrong line. Austin has a 100 wRC+ in MLB this year, but at AAA, it's 131 (Yankees AAA) and 146 (Twins AAA), basically the same as Rooker.

 

100 in the majors, and they'd rather have Morrison here right now.....

[AlwaysinModeration]

Oh god, I hope not.

 

If the team wants to start 2019 with a 1B platoon and Austin is part of that package, okay... I don't love it and it's not optimal, but I can take it if...

 

The real prize here is Rooker, who has an .859 OPS in Chattanooga right now. Either get a real first baseman or aim to have Rooker in Minnesota no later than June of 2019.

Maybe. I don’t know that Rooker is that much better than Austin. I think it’s worth giving Austin a bunch of ABs this year and next year, see if he can post 800 OPS or more. He’s entering his prime.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Oh god, I hope not.

 

If the team wants to start 2019 with a 1B platoon and Austin is part of that package, okay... I don't love it and it's not optimal, but I can take it if...

 

The real prize here is Rooker, who has an .859 OPS in Chattanooga right now. Either get a real first baseman or aim to have Rooker in Minnesota no later than June of 2019.

And I’ll also note Austin posted 900+ OPS the past two years at AA/AAA (and a former top 100 prospect).

[bighat]

Remember when Kendrys Morales had that "lost season" with the Twins a few years back? Played 39 games, had just 1 HR and batted .234. Looked like he was completely out of gas. Then he goes to KC and drives in 106 the next year, hits 30 HR the year after that. Goes to Toronto and hits 28 HR last year.

 

This Logan Morrison situation seems very familiar. I'm guessing he'll be able to get back in the groove, but it won't be in MN. Very odd how some players come to MN and have career-worst seasons, then get their mojo back when they leave.

 

I'm guessing this happens to every team, and we could find examples elsewhere. But for some reason it just seems like the Twins bring out the worst in veteran hitters.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Remember when Kendrys Morales had that "lost season" with the Twins a few years back? Played 39 games, had just 1 HR and batted .234. Looked like he was completely out of gas. Then he goes to KC and drives in 106 the next year, hits 30 HR the year after that. Goes to Toronto and hits 28 HR last year.

 

This Logan Morrison situation seems very familiar. I'm guessing he'll be able to get back in the groove, but it won't be in MN. Very odd how some players come to MN and have career-worst seasons, then get their mojo back when they leave.

 

I'm guessing this happens to every team, and we could find examples elsewhere. But for some reason it just seems like the Twins bring out the worst in veteran hitters.

 

the curse of the trees......bring back the trees.

[Kelly Vance]

 

Remember when Kendrys Morales had that "lost season" with the Twins a few years back? Played 39 games, had just 1 HR and batted .234. Looked like he was completely out of gas. Then he goes to KC and drives in 106 the next year, hits 30 HR the year after that. Goes to Toronto and hits 28 HR last year.

 

This Logan Morrison situation seems very familiar. I'm guessing he'll be able to get back in the groove, but it won't be in MN. Very odd how some players come to MN and have career-worst seasons, then get their mojo back when they leave.

 

I'm guessing this happens to every team, and we could find examples elsewhere. But for some reason it just seems like the Twins bring out the worst in veteran hitters.

except Dan Gladden, Chile Davis, Don Baylor, Dave Winfield, Jim Thome....... 

[Mike Sixel]

 

except Dan Gladden, Chile Davis, Don Baylor, Dave Winfield, Jim Thome....... 

 

Only one of those since TF opened.......I mean, some of those are in the way back machine.

[Kelly Vance]

 

Only one of those since TF opened.......I mean, some of those are in the way back machine.

But that is ok because I am older than dirt

[Mike Sixel]

 

But that is ok because I am older than dirt

 

many of us are.....

[AlwaysinModeration]

Remember when Kendrys Morales had that "lost season" with the Twins a few years back? Played 39 games, had just 1 HR and batted .234. Looked like he was completely out of gas. Then he goes to KC and drives in 106 the next year, hits 30 HR the year after that. Goes to Toronto and hits 28 HR last year.

 

This Logan Morrison situation seems very familiar. I'm guessing he'll be able to get back in the groove, but it won't be in MN. Very odd how some players come to MN and have career-worst seasons, then get their mojo back when they leave.

 

I'm guessing this happens to every team, and we could find examples elsewhere. But for some reason it just seems like the Twins bring out the worst in veteran hitters.

I don’t know...Morrison was good exactly one year. He was pretty good in the minors, but only had one stellar year in the majors, and that was last year. There’s a reason he didn’t get signed last off-season. I think he’s just reverting to his mean.

[Riverbrian]

 

I think I saw last night that Morrison had lost 22 hits to the shift.  If you tacked on 22 hits to his 59, he'd have a BA of .264.

 

So, bottom line is that he has had some bad luck, but, more importantly, he's going to have to learn to adapt.  Whether you like the shift or not, it's here until MLB tells us it is not.

 

On April 9th after a total of 9 Twins games... I posted this about Logan Morrison. 

 

"I am not liking his inability to adjust to the extreme shifting. I see no indication that he can adjust and I hope I'm wrong. If he can't adjust... he is going to hit. .210 this year because there will be a player standing everywhere he tends to hit the ball".

 

Logan Morrison has not adjusted to the shift and Paul Molitor did not adjust to Logan Morrison not adjusting and together they hit the iceberg because they must have figured that the iceberg would move if they just kept going.  

 

[Mr. Brooks]

Maybe. I don’t know that Rooker is that much better than Austin. I think it’s worth giving Austin a bunch of ABs this year and next year, see if he can post 800 OPS or more. He’s entering his prime.

Yeah, I think Austin is actually a pretty good comp for what Rooker will probably become.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Yeah, I think Austin is actually a pretty good comp for what Rooker will probably become.

Considering they have literally the same OPS over their minor league career!

[gil4]

 

Actually, I wonder if clearing waivers might be bad. If some team had put in a waiver claim, you revoke the waiver and then you know with whom to start trade discussions.

I thought players had to clear waivers before they could be traded after the deadline. I also thought that once waivers were revoked there was a waiting period before they could be waived again (30 days?). 

 

[yarnivek1972]

Perhaps Morrison is trying to channel his inner Tim Laudner. Of course, he was a catcher...

[ashbury]

I thought players had to clear waivers before they could be traded after the deadline. I also thought that once waivers were revoked there was a waiting period before they could be waived again (30 days?). 

Yeah, maybe I talked myself into a Catch-22 that doesn't actually exist.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I thought players had to clear waivers before they could be traded after the deadline. I also thought that once waivers were revoked there was a waiting period before they could be waived again (30 days?).

They can be traded to the claiming team, but only in a 48 hour window after the claim.

 

If they go unclaimed, they can be traded anytime.

 

You are right about the 30 day waiting period to request waivers a second time. And the second trip through waivers is irrevocable.

 

https://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3528

[70charger]

Remember when Kendrys Morales had that "lost season" with the Twins a few years back? Played 39 games, had just 1 HR and batted .234. Looked like he was completely out of gas. Then he goes to KC and drives in 106 the next year, hits 30 HR the year after that. Goes to Toronto and hits 28 HR last year.

 

This Logan Morrison situation seems very familiar. I'm guessing he'll be able to get back in the groove, but it won't be in MN. Very odd how some players come to MN and have career-worst seasons, then get their mojo back when they leave.

 

I'm guessing this happens to every team, and we could find examples elsewhere. But for some reason it just seems like the Twins bring out the worst in veteran hitters.

I recall his stint with the Twins beginning at least a month into the season, after the draft pick compensation time had passed on the old version of the QO. He basically did spring training with the big league club in May and June and unsurprisingly sucked. I bet he’d have had a good year if he been signed in March.

 

I don’t really see a strong parallel with the two situations, although that doesn’t lessen my disappointment with Morrison.

[Doctor Wu]

Back to the subject of clearing waivers, I'm still hoping we can unload Rodney on some other team.

[Dantes929]

 

except Dan Gladden, Chile Davis, Don Baylor, Dave Winfield, Jim Thome....... 

Paul Molitor,Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit, Jamey Carroll, Kurt Suzuki, Ed Nunez, Robbie Grossman and even Tori Hunter wasn't too bad.    

Who were the failures?    Morales and Morrison?  Tommy Herr?

I don't consider Morrison signing to be a mistake.   It was a good move that simply didn't work out.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I recall his stint with the Twins beginning at least a month into the season, after the draft pick compensation time had passed on the old version of the QO. He basically did spring training with the big league club in May and June and unsurprisingly sucked. I bet he’d have had a good year if he been signed in March.

Actually worse than that -- the Twins couldn't sign Morales until June 8 (once the draft started). And he started playing for us the next day, on June 9. Presumably he was working out on his own up to that point, but he was basically 3 months behind everyone else.

 

And coming full circle -- Morales came to the Twins from the Mariners, who had replaced Morales by acquiring... Logan Morrison!

[Mike Sixel]

Morrison has 1 year with more than .0.8 fWAR......I think it is more likely that year is the anomaly than this year is......He's almost 31. I can't speak to anything about his clubhouse role, but looking just at outcomes, I'm not interested in him playing anymore this year, let alone next year. Bring up Austin, cut LOMO.

[Kelly Vance]

Mike, I have had similar thoughts.

 

Last night with LoMo waving at outside pitches in the dirt with one hand on the bat was pretty lame. Guys who are struggling do stuff like that. I remember Cuddy was a fish for curve balls in the dirt too, yet he was beloved by most fans and he was willing to hit the ball to all fields.

 

LoMo, still trying to find his swing after three fourths of the season, is not good. He has been below the Mendoza line all year.  He could raise his BA quickly if he learned to punch the ball the other way. It is wide open. Good hitters adjust. LoMo is rigid in his plate approach, and that is why the shift works.

 

If I were a hitter, seeing a shift against me would tell me that I have become predictable. And I would find a way to make them pay for it by hitting to the open field instead of against 4 outfielders on the pull side.  The last player that I remember to beat the shift consistently by being stubborn was Ted.  And that was a loooooooong time ago.