During the off-season we’ll be taking a closer look at some potential free agent targets for the Toronto Blue Jays. Today it’s Brandon Morrow…
Brandon Morrow | Age: 33 | Position: RP | Throws: Right
2017 stats: 45 G | 43.2 IP | 2.06 ERA | 1.55 FIP | 0.916 WHIP | 10.3 K/9 | 1.9 BB/9
MLB Trade Rumors signing prediction
Three years, $24 million, Rockies
Why he’s a potential fit for the Blue Jays:
Less than a year after signing a minor-league deal with the Dodgers, Morrow will be among the more coveted relievers in free agency. He emerged as a dominant late-inning option during the regular season and built on that success in October, when Dave Roberts called on him to pitch in 14 of 15 Dodgers playoff games.
Morrow, who played for the Blue Jays from 2010-14, hits free agency at a time when his former team needs ‘significant’ pitching help, according to GM Ross Atkins.
“That could be a guy that’s a fourth, fifth calibre starter, or an elite reliever, or some hybrid of those two,” Atkins said recently during a guest appearance on the At The Letters podcast.
Morrow hasn’t started a game since May of 2015, but he sure looked like an elite reliever last year. His fastball averaged 97.7 m.p.h., a career high, and he touched 100 m.p.h. on occasion. To complement that velocity, Morrow has relied extensively on a hard cutter since moving back to the bullpen and the combination has proved successful.
The Blue Jays already have plenty of right-handed relief pitching, but the Toronto pitching staff would undoubtedly be stronger with Morrow part of it. If necessary, they have enough optionable relievers to create space at the MLB level. Not only could the 33-year-old help the club’s chances of returning to the playoffs, but should they get there, he’d profile as a trustworthy setup option alongside Roberto Osuna.
And while Morrow has undoubtedly earned himself a multi-year contract, his salary wouldn’t prevent the Blue Jays from addressing other needs in the middle infield and outfield.
Why he might not be a fit for the Blue Jays:
Morrow has a strong case for a three-year deal, which is a substantial commitment to make for a pitcher with a history of shoulder trouble. The right-hander had surgery to address a shoulder impingement in August of 2015, and missed a year as a result.
Since then, he has proven exceptionally durable, with appearances in all seven 2017 World Series games, but it might be hard for interested teams to look past that injury history. All told, Morrow pitched 77.1 innings in 2017 between the minors, majors and post-season, and he was pushed extremely hard in the playoffs, with six appearances on zero days’ rest, compared to seven during the entire regular season.
Will teams see that workload and determine that Morrow’s health issues are behind him? Or will they worry about a 2018 hangover? Either way, there are enough positives here that Morrow seems likely to obtain a three-year deal.
It’s also worth noting that Atkins has eschewed long-term commitments to relievers so far. If recent deals with Gavin Floyd, Joe Smith and J.P. Howell offer any indication, the Blue Jays are more comfortable making short-term commitments in the volatile relief market. That could play in their favour this winter because the market’s flush with capable relief arms, according to club executives and agents.
All things considered, Morrow would represent a clear bullpen upgrade. The Blue Jays will surely check in if they haven’t done so already, but if they decide to slow-play the relief market again, Morrow will likely end up elsewhere.
The latest Morrow buzz
Earlier this month, Morrow told MLB Network Radio that he’d prefer to re-sign with the Dodgers “all things being equal.”
Among the reasons he enjoyed playing for the Dodgers? “They do a really good job of taking (advanced) numbers and then showing you how you can be successful,” Morrow told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Then there’s the fact that the Dodgers look like a perennial threat to win it all. While Morrow’s not concerned about obtaining a closing job, he said he does want to sign with a contender.
So far, it appears that he’ll have plenty of choices. Morrow has emerged as a potential option for the Cubs, Patrick Mooney recently reported for NBC Sports Chicago. He’d be an intriguing fit on a team that just lost closer Wade Davis to free agency, but the Cubs could have competition from within the division. The Cardinals have had interest in Morrow on multiple occasions in the past, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Astros and Rockies are among the other contending teams that could benefit from relief help.
[relatedlinks]
