Kansas City Royals should sign Logan Morrison to play first base
The Kansas City Royals technically don’t have a first baseman at the moment and Spring Training is about to begin. The team should sign Logan Morrison to play first base.
Of course, this would mean that the Kansas City Royals don’t bring back Eric Hosmer, which could upset a lot of people, but what good does retaining Hosmer really do? I dove into this subject about a week ago, where I reiterated that Hosmer wasn’t worth more than a seven year deal because that’s just not the type of move that the Royals typically make.
Signing a guy like Logan Morrison, however, makes a lot of sense. For one, the Royals have no other legitimate options at first base. Sure, there’s Cheslor Cuthbert and potentially Hunter Dozier, but Cuthbert should be at his preferred position of third and who knows if Dozier is even good enough to play first on a daily basis?
The Royals traded Brandon Moss a few weeks ago, so that was one less option and made first base an even bigger priority this winter. Morrison isn’t the same kind of player that Hosmer is and he certainly doesn’t have the history that Hosmer has here, but he actually wants to play in Kansas City. That’s not something a lot of free agents have wanted in years past.
A couple of #MLB execs think Logan Morrison, a Kansas City native, has his eye on the #Royals as a landing spot if Eric Hosmer doesn't return. Hunter Dozier currently tops the 1B depth chart in K.C. Lomo and Lucas Duda are among the bats still available in painfully slow market.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) February 9, 2018
The problem now, however, is that Morrison is starting to gain interest from another team, one that can certainly afford his “lower” salary wishes.
Red Sox and Logan Morrison's camp have been in touch recently. Sox still want Martinez, but there is groundwork for alternatives
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) February 9, 2018
I’m not saying the Royals should rush into anything, but at what point do they move on from the idea of signing Hosmer and just bring in someone like Morrison? Morrison is less expensive and hit more home runs than Hoz did last year (though he did play in a more home run friendly park) plus he’s a hometown guy and wants to be a member of the Royals.
More from Kansas City Royals
- This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
- The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
- DraftKings + FanDuel Kansas Promos: INSTANT $150 Bonus Plus Two Chances to Win!
- 3 Royals Players Who Won’t Be on the Roster Next Year
- LAST CHANCE to Claim $250 GUARANTEED Bonus With FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
I’m sure Hosmer would love to come back to Kansas City too, but spending $147 million (or potentially more) on one guy isn’t ideal for a rebuilding team. Inking Logan Morrison to a two-year contract would be more in the Royals’ wheelhouse for sure.
Morrison would fit in more as a designated hitter with his ability to hit home runs, but he’d definitely be brought to Kansas City to field first base. He slashed .246/.353/.516 last year with 38 home runs and 85 RBI. He played 126 games at first and was the DH in 17 games.
Ultimately, I do think the Royals end up landing Eric Hosmer simply because the market is so weird this year, but I don’t think that’s a good decision. One player earning that much money for a small-market team is killer, especially for a team that isn’t going to be all that competitive these next few years.
Hopefully the Kansas City Royals get outbid for Hosmer and can sign Logan Morrison (or someone else who’s cheaper) because otherwise… That’s going to be a contract the organization regrets.