The quest for a first baseman is seemingly over. Reports are that the Rays are bringing back Logan Morrison, signing him to a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported the deal around lunch time on Friday.
Sources: Rays and Logan Morrison have agreed on a one-year, $2.5M deal. Tampa Bay has a full 40-man roster, so a move will need to be made.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 3, 2017
Morrison, 29, played in 107 games for the Rays in 2016 and ended his season hitting 14 HR, 43 RBI, and .238/.319/.414 line. He primarily played 1B/DH but battled injuries all year. His start to last season was among the worst all-time in franchise history as he came out of the gates hitting .100/.156/.133 in April and didn’t hit his first home run until May 18th.
The signing almost solidifies moving Brad Miller over to second base but does not rule out keeping an eye on other potential bats on the free agent/trade market before pitchers and catchers report on February 14th.
The Rays also signed INF Rickie Weeks to a minor league deal Friday. Weeks, 34, most recently played for the Diamondbacks in 2016 and hit .239/.327/.450 in 108 games in Arizona. He’s a 13-year veteran who would most likely do nothing more than provide some veteran, infield depth.
