Red Sox to meet with Free Agent Logan Morrison
The Boston Red Sox are meeting with Logan Morrison’s reps today. Morrison is coming off of a 38 home run season and the Sox are looking to add power.
NBC Sports’ Evan Drellich is reporting that the Boston Red Sox are scheduled to meet with the team of free agent first baseman Logan Morrison today at the GM Meetings.
The 30-year-old Morrison is coming off a season where he hit .246/.353/.516 for the Tampa Bay Rays. After hitting a career-high 38 home runs this season, Morrison should have little issues finding a multi-year deal worth upwards of $20 million.
After a 2017 season where MLB set a record for most home runs hit in a season with 6,105, the Red Sox lacked a legitimate power threat in their lineup.
With the team being linked to names like Giancarlo Stanton, J.D. Martinez, and most recently Carlos Santana, they could be looking to save big with a low-risk/high-reward option in Morrison.
Morrison would provide the Red Sox with a low-budget power threat and a solution to their problem at first base.
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Boston is not yet ready or willing to give prospect Sam Travis an everyday job and Hanley Ramirez‘ 2017 was arguably the first time we were able to see a true indication of a decline in production. According to Baseball Reference, Ramirez was worth -0.3 WAR this season in 133 games.
Ramirez is in the last year of an $88 million dollar contract signed in 2015. Ramirez’ contract contains a vesting option for 2019. He will need 497 plate appearances this coming season in order for the option to vest (1,050 plate appearances between the 2017 and 2018 season).
If last season was a true indication of Ramirez’ decline, this season we will watch his age rise while he experiences another dip in production.
His $22 million dollar option is something the Red Sox will be cautious about when putting Ramirez in the lineup. He will be 35 years old in 2019 and the Red Sox could look to trade him before this season begins to avoid having that money count against the luxury tax.
Next: What would it take to trade for Stanton?
This season was Morrison’s second full season in the AL East and the numbers speak for themselves. If the Red Sox choose to pull the trigger on Morrison, the low-cost agreement would save enough money compared to the cash demands of Martinez or Stanton-to help them bolster their bullpen.