By Terry Benish
Special to The Sports Paper
The Seattle Mariners today added Logan Morrison and Corey Hart to their roster. Morrison was acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins, with the M’s sending reliever Carter Capps to the Marlins.
Hart, 31, a two-time National League All-star, came over in a one-year free agent deal.
Both Morrison and Hart are very big guys. Hart is six-foot-six and 235 pounds and Morrison is six-foot-three and 245 pounds. And both have potential to add power and protection in lineup for recently signed Robinson Cano.
Hart, a right-handed hitter, has a good pedigree statistically and can play the outfield or at first base. He hit 30 home runs and drove in 83 runs for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012, but missed all of last season after having surgery on both knees.
Morrison, 26, is a left-handed hitter who also has played outfield and first base. He struggled last year in 85 games, hitting .242 with six home runs. Morrison blasted 23 home runs and drove in 72 runs in 2011, but injuries have limited his playing time since.
Hart will play a lot, barring any health problems. Justin Smoak and Morrison seemingly might co-own leftfield, first base and designated hitter.
In other news, it appears trade talks to bring in Matt Kemp from the Dodgers and pitcher David Price from the Tampa Bay Rays is dead. Kemp’s leg is still in a cast and you always want to see if he’ll play again. Price said this morning he would not resign with Seattle if traded there. Rays are probably not happy about that, but there is probably some linkage to the Geoff Baker Seattle Times story on Saturday claiming a dysfunctional Mariners’ front office on the baseball side.
As for the Hart and Morrison deals this morning, these guys are quintessential Jack Zduriencik stuff ‑ bottom fishing, trying to catch lightening in a barrel – with players that were big time and have fallen on hard times.