Mike Morse

Mike Morse

42-Year-Old First Baseman1B
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Mike Morse in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a minor league deal with the Giants in December of 2016.
Calls end to career
1BFree Agent  
May 29, 2018
Morse recently accepted a position with the Nationals as a part-time analyst on pregame and postgame telecasts and acknowledged that his playing days are over, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.
ANALYSIS
Morse planned to retire after the 2016 season, but he ultimately changed his mind and inked a minor-league deal with the Giants in December of that year. He was promoted to the majors last April and hit .194/.250/.306 over 24 games before suffering a season-ending concussion May 29, 2017, when he was on the receiving end of an accidental punch from teammate Jeff Samardzija in the melee that ensued after Hunter Strickland infamously beaned Washington star Bryce Harper. Morse, 36, indicated he's no longer receiving treatment for post-concussion symptoms, but viewed the head injury as a sign that it was time to hang up his cleats. Morse retires with a .274 average and 105 career home runs over parts of 13 seasons in the majors with the Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Giants, Marlins and Pirates.
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The end could be nigh for Morse as the journeyman free agent will likely have trouble latching onto another team after his 2017 season was cut short due to lingering concussion symptoms. That, along with only playing in 30 games at the big-league level the past two years, could signal it's time to hang up the cleats. In limited action with the Giants last season, Morse hit only .194/.250/.306 with just one homer in 40 plate appearances. Now 35, Morse was once a promising infielder whose career was curtailed by injuries as well as the stigma of one of the first PED suspensions. He's played for seven organizations, batting a modest .274 with 105 career homers in 832 games spanning 13 seasons.
Morse lost his power stroke (.275/.390/.391) but gave the Bucs competent at-bats in limited play (82 PA) in 2015. Despite poor instincts at first base, he’ll compete for playing time as the right-handed bat in part of a platoon. Pittsburgh swapped Jose Tabata for Morse in a deadline deal with the Dodgers, exchanging one problem for another. Pirates GM Neal Huntington said it evened out the finances between both players - Morse is due a guaranteed $8 million in 2016 — but it’s still hard seeing Morse play more than a bit role with the Bucs. His bat is best used off the bench at this stage of the 34-year-old’s career.
Morse returned fair value for the Giants as a one-year, $6 million pickup in free agency for 2014, but his bat is actually worth more than that if his defense can be removed from the equation. Back tightness in June and an oblique injury in September likely limited his power in the second half, as he hit 14 of his 16 home runs prior to the All-Star break. There is still plenty of swing-and-miss in his game (25.1 K%) and he doesn't walk as much as most thumpers (career 6.1% BB%), but it's not unreasonable to think that Morse could deliver 20-25 homers and plenty of RBI after signing to take over as the Marlins' primary first baseman in December.
Morse struggled all season, first with the Mariners and then with the Orioles where he finished the season 3-for-29. Morse played through a wrist injury and had surgery after the season that should enable him to be fully healthy heading into spring training. An increased strikeout rate (25.8%) and a low BABIP (.254) were partly to blame, as was a quad injury throughout the middle of the season. Morse signed a one-year deal with the Giants in December, where he will presumably take over as the team's primary left fielder.
Morse's 2012 performance may look like a disappointment, but given the power-sapping injuries he battled through (including a strained muscle in his back to begin the season, and hand issues towards the end of the year) it is actually pretty impressive. A spike in his groundball rate and plunge in his flyball rate are most likely the result of those injuries. If he can stay healthy in 2013 and get back to his usual batted ball profile, he has a chance to return to his 2011 production. His biggest challenge might be his new home - Safeco Field. Morse was traded to Seattle in January. The Mariners are gambling a new outfield configuration will spare Morse's power. Fantasy owners will do the same.
Morse put up fantastic numbers in his first full season in the majors, and was the Nationals' best overall hitter in 2011. While not a high OBP guy, his power numbers have been hard to ignore. Morse’s .247 ISO ranked 10th in baseball in 2011 and he has a career 18.9 percent HR/FB ratio during his major league career. Strikeouts have always been a problem for him, but his .344 BABIP during the 2011 season was not out of the ordinary (.346 career BABIP). In terms of defense, he ranks below average in both left field and first base, but is more suited to play first in the long run. If Adam LaRoche makes it back from shoulder surgery, Morse will likely serve as the Nats' primary left fielder this season.
Of all the players who got a look in right field for the Nationals in 2010 Morse was the only one who impressed, putting up fairly massive numbers as Roger Bernadina's nominal platoon partner. He killed lefties to the tune of .295/.374/.625, but his numbers against right-handers were solid too and at the very least he's solidified his spot on the bench. The Jayson Werth signing shuts the door on any right field at-bats, but Morse offers some defensive versatility and could be a utility option if he's unable to secure regular at-bats in left field this spring.
Just as he did in 2007, Morse put up big numbers at Triple-A, but as yet he's never been able to duplicate that performance over the long haul in the majors. He may never get the chance, as he seems to be typecast as a jack-of-all-trades bench player, but the Nationals are still thin enough talent-wise that a couple of injures could give Morse one last chance to prove he can be a lineup regular and not a spare part.
Morse made the lineup out of spring training last year only to dislocate his shoulder in early April, ending his season. Where he fits with the new front-office regime in Seattle remains to be seen. Morse can play a variety of positions, including infield and outfield, which could help him land a utility role. Through 29 games in the Venezuelan Winter League, Morse hit .309 with six homers and seven doubles, showing that his timing is back after missing so much action. He likely need another big spring training to turn heads.
Morse likely has an opportunity to win a bench spot this season after the Mariners traded Ben Broussard. Morse can play a variety of positions, including infield and outfield, which could help him land a utility role. He parlayed a good year at Triple-A Tacoma (26 doubles, .828 OPS) into a September callup, but didn't see much action in Seattle.
Morse's flexibility could land him a bench spot with the Mariners in 2007—he can play infield and outfield. He doesn't look to be much more than a utility player, though, since his bat isn't that strong. A mid-season knee injury cost him about a month, but he returned at full strength.
Morse converted to left field late last season because Yuniesky Betancourt put a hammerlock on shortstop with superior fielding. Morse likely earned a bench spot as the fourth outfielder with a strong 2005 debut. He hit .322 in a combined 155 at-bats in June and July, before cooling off considerably in August and September (.197 in 71 at-bats). He'll go as far as his bat takes him.
Morse joined the Mariners organization last year as part of the mid-season deal for Freddy Garcia. He's 6-4 and an athletic shortstop who can also play third. The Mariners have Adrian Beltre at third base for the foreseeable future, so while Morse might be better suited for third, his future would seem to be at shortstop—at least with the Mariners. His bat was slow to develop at Double-A San Antonio.
More Fantasy News
Unlikely to return this season
1BSan Francisco Giants  
Concussion
August 11, 2017
Morse (concussion) is unlikely to play again this season, Andrew Baggarly of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
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Needs more rest
1BSan Francisco Giants  
Concussion
June 10, 2017
Morse (concussion) is still feeling the effects of his concussion and will need more time to recover, The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea reports.
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Also dealing with rib injury
1BSan Francisco Giants  
Concussion
June 8, 2017
Morse, who's on the 7-day concussion disabled list, is also dealing with a rib injury, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
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Lands on concussion DL
1BSan Francisco Giants  
Concussion
May 30, 2017
Morse was placed on the 7-day concussion DL on Tuesday, John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
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Slow start to 2017
1BSan Francisco Giants  
May 25, 2017
Morse is batting .219/.257/.601 in 32 at-bats to start the season.
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