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Justin Morneau To Retire, Join Twins As Special Assistant

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JANUARY 15: Morneau will indeed retire, MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger tweets. He’s expected to hold a press conference to announce the move on Wednesday.

JANUARY 9: Long-time Twins star Justin Morneau is slated to join the team as a special assistant, according to Bob Elliott of the Canadian Baseball Network (via Twitter). It would appear that the decision spells the end of his playing days, though there’s no clear word yet of that.

Mar 11, 2017; Miami, FL, USA; Canada infielder Justin Morneau (33) runs the bases in the first inning against Colombia during the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Morneau, 36, told Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca in late October that he was not ready to retire officially, but also seemingly acknowledged his playing career was likely over. At the time, Morneau said he had hoped to play in 2017 but had not been willing to go down to Triple-A and wait for a phone call. It has never seemed likely that the opportunities would improve over time, particularly now that Morneau did not play in the just-completed season.

Entering the 2017 campaign, Morneau was already expressing some uncertainty about his future, though he also sounded like someone who wanted to carry on. Now, though, indications clearly are he’s moving on to other challenges in the baseball world.

If this is indeed the end of the line, Morneau will end his career as one of the best and most productive players ever to hail from his native Canada. In the aggregate, the first baseman turned in 22.6 fWAR and 27.3 rWAR over his 14 MLB campaigns. He also earned just shy of $100MM, due in large part to a six-year, $80MM extension he struck with Minnesota in 2008.

Of course, it’s hard not to ask what might have been. Morneau won the American League MVP Award in 2006 and went to the All-Star Game in each of the ensuing four seasons. As of mid-2010, he carried a lifetime .286/.358/.511 batting line. And he was then in the midst of his best season, boasting a whopping .345/.437/.618 output with 18 home runs through 81 games.

Things changed suddenly when Morneau took a knee to the head in a collision at second base. The concussion he suffered knocked him out for the rest of the season and limited him to just 69 games in the ensuing campaign. While he was eventually able to return to above-average work at the plate, and even turned in a very strong 2014 season with the Rockies (.319/.364/.496), Morneau never fully regained his standing on the field.

Injuries limited Morneau in 2015 and delayed his start to the 2016 campaign, when he signed a one-year deal with the White Sox after offseason elbow surgery. He ultimately managed only a .261/.303/.429 output for Chicago — respectable work for his age-35 season after so many travails, but not enough to drive interest from other organizations after the end of the season. Morneau also appeared in the World Baseball Classic in 2017, representing his fourth appearance for home country and perhaps his last competitive action on the field.

In addition to the organizations already noted, Morneau spent a brief stretch with the Pirates in 2013, following his mid-season trade from the Twins. Clearly, Morneau will forever be associated with the Minnesota franchise, though, after 11 good years there. He was part of a core group that featured mainstays such as Johan Santana, Torii Hunter, Michael Cuddyer, and Joe Mauer. While the Twins never experienced much postseason success in that era, they did take home six AL Central titles in a nine-year span (2002 through 2010).

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Morneau, Lenik, Bell

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Veteran first baseman Justin Morneau isn’t calling it quits yet, officially, but it sounds as if he has largely accepted that he likely won’t suit up again in the majors. In the course of a great chat on the podcast of Ben Nicholson-Smith and Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca (audio link), Morneau says it seemed at points last spring and even into the season that he might have a shot at joining an organization. Ultimately, though, things simply “didn’t line up” for the 36-year-old, who says he wasn’t really “willing to go down to Triple-A and ride the bus” at this stage, given his family obligations. A 14-year MLB veteran, Morneau long starred with the Twins and played most recently with the White Sox. Though he showed in 2016 that he can still hit major league pitching, he acknowledges that it “doesn’t look like there’s a lot of opportunities” out there for the coming season. (That’s a topic that’s covered further in the podcast, which is well worth a listen.)

Here are some notes from the central divisions:

  • The Royals face a variety of challenges this winter, with a need to bolster the bullpen likely among them. But the team does have an intriguing option on hand in indy ball find Kevin Lenik, writes Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. The 26-year-old is showing a big fastball and generated strong results upon reaching Triple-A, where he pitched to a 1.88 ERA with 24 strikeouts and eight walks over 24 frames in a dozen outings. Assistant GM J.J. Picollo suggests it’s likely (albeit still undecided) that Lenik will receive an invitation to MLB camp.
  • Buddy Bell has left the White Sox front office to join that of the Reds, as Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports. Bell had served as an assistant GM in Chicago and will now function as a senior advisor to top Reds baseball decisionmaker Dick Williams. A long-time big leaguer and former MLB skipper, Bell drew kind words from White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on his way out the door. As Kuc notes, Bell has roots in Cincinnati and figures to make for a valuable addition to the organization’s front office.

Free Agent Notes: Gee, Jepsen, Morneau

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A few notes on some currently unsigned players…

  • The Twins are in talks with right-hander Dillon Gee, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Gee elected free agency over the weekend after he cleared waivers following his DFA by the Rangers. The 31-year-old veteran posted a 4.15 ERA and a 10-to-6 K/BB ratio in 13 innings with the Rangers this season and turned in a 3.88 earned run average with 7.6 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9 over the life of 51 innings with Triple-A Round Rock this season. Gee had thoracic outlet surgery back in October but has been healthy throughout the 2017 season thus far. He pitched to a 4.68 ERA in 125 innings for Kansas City last season and has a 4.13 ERA in 817 1/3 innings as a Major Leaguer, working mostly out of the rotation. Minnesota is in dire need of rotation help as it fights to maintain a surprising early run as the AL Central leader.
  • Right-hander Kevin Jepsen had a workout for teams today, per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). Jepsen was cut loose by the D-backs at the end of Spring Training and has since been rehabbing a quadriceps injury before looking for another club. Jepsen, 32, had a terrible season in 2016, pitching to a 5.98 ERA in 49 2/3 innings between the Twins and the Rays. However, Jepsen was terrific as recently as the 2015 season, when he posted a 2.33 ERA through 69 2/3 innings between those same two clubs and even served as Minnesota’s closer following an injury to Glen Perkins.
  • Diamondbacks bench coach Ron Gardenhire told Jon Morosi of FOX Sports and MLB Network recently that Justin Morneau is in excellent condition and feels that the former American League MVP could help an AL club in 2017 (Twitter link). The 36-year-old Morneau spent the second half of the 2016 season with the White Sox and hit .261/.303/.429 through 218 plate appearances. It’s not immediately clear how aggressively Morneau and his agents are pursuing a deal, though Morneau was linked to a few clubs over the course of the offseason and played for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. He’s never made any indication that he plans to retire, either.

NL Notes: Reds, Rockies, Wisler, Schafer

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Reds president of baseball operations Dick Williams gave an interesting interview to David Laurila of Fangraphs that’s worth a read. The top Cincy baseball decisionmaker noted that it’s harder for clubs of that market size to pay solid veterans on short-term deals during a rebuilding campaign, which is one of several factors that tends to make the process more painful. But the organization is plainly committed to doing it and doing it right. Williams detailed many different initiatives underway after an exhaustive review of “where we thought dollars would have a better return on investment than at the major league payroll level.” You’ll want to give the post a full read.

Here’s more from the National League:

  • With Ian Desmond set to miss a chunk of time early in the season, the Rockies are sorting through their options for filling in, as Nick Groke of the Denver Post writes. Mark Reynolds is the obvious choice as a primary replacement, of course, but the team will need to line up some bodies behind him. With manager Bud Black saying the club hopes to “take advantage” of the versatility of some of their own players, he lined up each of Jordan Patterson, Stephen Cardullo, and Cristhian Adames at first in drills. Whether the organization might look at external names isn’t known, but Black did say that he has not heard any discussion surrounding former Rockies first bagger Justin Morneau.
  • Righty Matt Wisler is still trying to establish himself for the Braves, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The 24-year-old has been hit hard this spring, as he was in the majors last year, and there doesn’t seem to be much chance that he’ll crack the MLB rotation unless there’s an injury or big performance downturn during the season. Still, manager Brian Snitker says he’s a believer — at least in the quality of Wisler’s offerings. “[I]t’s just location– fastball location,” Black said of Wisler’s struggles. “He’s just got to keep working on location. The stuff is there. The kid’s stuff is too good not to be successful.”
  • Jordan Schafer’s efforts to make the Cardinals roster as a lefty reliever have run into some difficulties, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch Reports. The 30-year-old is dealing with forearm soreness, with the root cause yet to be determined. He hadn’t been particularly effective in his five outings anyway, and struggled upon reaching Triple-A briefly last year with the Dodgers organization. But Schafer was actually quite impressive at Double-A in 2016, working to a 3.15 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 over forty frames.

Twins Rumors: Relievers, Morneau, Napoli, May, Vogelsong

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The Twins have been said to be on the hunt for bullpen help in recent days, and La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that right-hander Joe Blanton and left-hander Boone Logan are both on the the team’s radar. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, meanwhile, tweets that Minnesota has had some talks with Jerry Blevins’ camp as well. While any of the three veterans would serve as an upgrade to a Twins relief corps that is rife with question marks, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press hears that the Twins aren’t likely to sign a reliever to a multi-year deal. If that’s the case, it may be difficult for the team to reel in any of the three listed targets from Neal and Wolfson. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal recently reported that both Logan and Blevins could very well land two-year deals worth $12MM+, and Blanton remains a candidate for a multi-year deal as well. Berardino does note that the Twins are intrigued by lefty Craig Breslow’s recent workout and new arm slot.

  • While there’s been mutual interest reported between the Twins and former cornerstone Justin Morneau, Neal reports within his column that talks between Minnesota and Morneau’s camp weren’t especially productive, and the sides each came away feeling like there’s no current fit on the roster for the 35-year-old former MVP. Neal also suggests that while there’s been some interest in Mike Napoli, the bullpen might be a bigger priority right now. Berardino’s above-linked column, meanwhile, notes that Napoli is expected to sign elsewhere.
  • Right-hander Trevor May has spent much of the past two seasons pitching in relief (including all of his injury-shortened 2016 campaign), but the new Twins front office would like to see the once-well-regarded pitching prospect move back to the rotation in 2017, writes Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. May says he feels “normal” again after dealing with significant back issues in 2016, and believes that “pitching with a set routine” on regular rest will help him keep it that way. “I’m not saying I have to have an amazing spring, by any means,” May said of earning a spot in the MLB rotation, “but I have to show I’m ready to go. I have a starter’s mind-set that I can throw all my pitches right away. … If the health is there, I feel like I can slide in there.”
  • Berardino also provides details on the minor-league deal between the organization and veteran righty Ryan Vogelsong. He’ll earn at a $1MM base rate in the majors. And the 39-year-old could take home up to $2.5MM if he earns and keeps a rotation spot for most of the year (30 starts), or as much as $1MM if he’s a stalwart in the pen (55 appearances, available in $200K increments). Though Vogelsong can opt out just before the start of the season, he won’t have any later opt-out opportunities if he ends up opening the year in the minors.

Twins, Justin Morneau Interested In Reunion

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The Twins and one of their all-time best players, free agent designated hitter/first baseman Justin Morneau, have mutual interest in a reunion, reports Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press.

Morneau spent the first 11 years of his career in Minnesota, which selected him in the third round of the 1999 draft. As a member of the Twins from 2003-2013, Morneau slashed .278/.347/.485 with 221 home runs in 5,350 plate appearances, earned four All-Star nods and won the American League MVP in 2006. Unfortunately, Morneau’s effectiveness began fading after he suffered a concussion midway through the 2010 campaign, when he may have been on the way to another MVP. His tenure with the Twins concluded when they traded him to the Pirates in August 2013.

Morneau didn’t last in Pittsburgh beyond his late-2013 run there and has since played for the Rockies, with whom he hit .319 in 2014 and won the National League batting title, and White Sox. The 35-year-old appeared in only 49 games with the Rockies in 2015 and then endured one of the least productive campaigns of his career last season in Chicago (though he didn’t debut until June after undergoing offseason elbow surgery). All told, Morneau hit .261/.303/.429 in 218 PAs and paired a career-worst walk rate (5.5 percent) with a bloated strikeout rate (23.9 percent – well above his lifetime mark of 15.5).

While another Morneau-Minnesota go-around would make for a feel-good story, there might not be enough at-bats available to make it worthwhile, writes Berardino. The Twins already have first base/DH types in $23MM man Joe Mauer, who used to team with Morneau to terrorize opposing pitchers, as well as younger options in Byung Ho Park and Kennys Vargas. But even if Morneau doesn’t end up joining the Twins, he is aiming to sign somewhere for what would be his 15th season in the majors.

Justin Morneau Open To 2017 Return

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White Sox designated hitter Justin Morneau is open to continuing his career in 2017, he told reporters, including Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune, on Saturday.

“Hopefully I’ve shown enough, but you never know,” said the free agent-to-be. “If the right opportunity is not there, the choice might not be up to me. At this point, I would lean toward I still enjoy the work and still would like to (play), but it also has to make sense at this point with my family and spending time away and all that stuff.”

Potential factors working against a Morneau return include his poor 2016 output and health issues. The 2006 American League MVP and longtime Twin didn’t debut this year until mid-July after undergoing offseason elbow surgery. Moreover, the 35-year-old has been out of Chicago’s lineup since Monday with what he calls “old-man neck.” When he has played this year, Morneau has registered a career-worst .256/.295/.430 line with five home runs in 183 plate appearances. He has also recorded the lowest walk rate of his career (4.9 percent) to go with a subpar strikeout rate of 25.7 percent.

Morneau isn’t far removed from amassing far more respectable production, as he batted .310/.363/.458 in one fewer PA (182) with the Rockies last season and posted a much better 13.7 percent strikeout rate. The year before, he appeared in 135 of the Rockies’ games, totaled 550 PAs and won the National League batting title with a .319 average. Given that he was in the NL then, Morneau had to play first base in order to crack Colorado’s lineup. With the White Sox, Morneau hasn’t taken the field. If the four-time All-Star does return next year, he hopes to at least log some time with the glove.

“If you had told me when I came up that I’d miss playing defense, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Morneau said. “It’s something that is important and I like doing and I want to get back to it.”

In addition to his desire to serve as a defender again, Morneau would unsurprisingly like to play for a contender, per Kane. The White Sox, who signed him to a $1MM deal in June, don’t fit that description as of now. Whether they’ll enter next season as a hopeful playoff team or a club in a rebuild remains to be seen, but manager Robin Ventura believes Morneau is still capable of contributing.

“He can hit. He can still play. There’s no question about that,” Ventura said. “If he can physically withstand it, he’s going to be valuable to somebody.”

Unfortunately for Morneau, injury issues – including multiple concussions – have helped derail a decorated career. Morneau’s first concussion came in July 2010 and prematurely ended what may have been another MVP-winning season. His production has declined to a notable extent since.

Quick Hits: Murphy, Volquez, Yankees, Fernandez, Ruiz, Morneau

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The Mets felt comfortable in letting Daniel Murphy go in free agency for several reasons, a decision that ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin notes is certainly worth second-guessing given Murphy’s huge season with the Nationals.  Perhaps the biggest factor for the Mets was their belief that Murphy could deliver a good average but little else.  Murphy, of course, has contributed 25 homers and a .340/.383/.593 slash line, pretty resounding the Mets’ criticisms about his lack of power or plate discipline.  (He has also been above average on the basepaths, as per Fangraphs’ baserunning metric.)  Murphy is looking like a bargain signing for the Nats while second base is a question mark for the Mets heading into 2017.

Here’s some more from around baseball…

  • For now, “the most logical scenario” between the Royals and Edinson Volquez is that the club will issue Volquez a qualifying offer that the righty will decline in search of a multi-year contract elsewhere, Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star writes as part of a reader mailbag piece.  It may seem odd that the Royals would risk issuing a one-year, $16.7MM deal to a 33-year-old with a 5.02 ERA through 166 2/3 innings, though the starting pitching market is so thin that Volquez may indeed be able to find a longer-term commitment.  If Volquez leaves, Dodd figures K.C. will pursue inexpensive free agent starters, or possibly look for a higher-caliber arm by trading one of its core roster players.
  • The Yankees heavily reloaded on blue chip minor leaguers with their deadline trades, and John Harper of the New York Daily News wonders if the club will try to deal from this newfound prospect depth to acquire a frontline starter this winter.  Jose Fernandez may be the most available ace on the market, given that the Marlins may not have the money to keep him before he hits free agency after the 2018 season.  Landing Fernandez would likely cost the Yankees Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, one of Jorge Mateo or Gleyber Torres and probably one more pitching prospect.  It might take an even biggest prospect package than that to acquire Chris Sale given Sale’s club-friendly contract, while the Athletics’ Sonny Gray or the Rays’ Chris Archer are coming off down years and may be too risky for the Yankees given the prospect cost it would take to acquire them.
  • Cuban second baseman Jose Miguel Fernandez and righty Norge Ruiz will play for Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican League this winter, Baseball America’s Ben Badler reports.  It will present both players with a valuable opportunity to perform in front of MLB scouts, particularly Fernandez since the infielder hasn’t in competitive games for almost two full years.  That long layoff may have contributed to Fernandez still being unsigned despite being declared a free agent in April, though Badler notes other factors like teams being pretty set at second base and scouts having questions about Fernandez’s power, fielding and speed.  Ruiz left Cuba in May 2015 but has yet to be officially declared a free agent, which Badler finds curious given how several Cuban players have been cleared by the league in far less time.
  • Justin Morneau hopes to play some first base if he plays in 2017, CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes writes.  Morneau has only served as a DH since joining the White Sox, thanks to his rehab from elbow surgery and his lack of a Spring Training.  With a proper spring under his belt next season, Morneau feels he can return to his old position at least a couple of times per week.  It should also be noted that Morneau’s free agent value will obviously increase if he is able to play a position rather than be limited to a designated hitter role.

White Sox Reportedly Open To Dealing Veteran Bats, Relievers

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4:34pm: GM Rick Hahn acknowledged that his club will not be pursuing short-term upgrades to the MLB roster, as Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago was among those to tweet. He added that the Sox will be willing to consider all other transactions.

Those comments don’t squarely paint Chicago as a seller, but certainly lean as strongly in that direction as might be expected in a public statement. Hahn bemoaned the fact that, as he put it, the team is “mired in mediocrity,” so it certainly appears that the organization is ready to shake things up.

1:20pm: The White Sox appear to have reversed course in the midst of a significant slump, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the club is now open to selling off veteran pieces this summer (Twitter link). The Sox intend to keep their rotation intact — taking Chris Sale, Jose Quintana and presumably Carson Fulmer and Carlos Rodon off the table, much to the chagrin of interested parties — and are intent on holding onto top shortstop prospect Tim Anderson as well. Other than that, however, Nightengale suggests that the rest of the roster is “in play.”

Optimistic fans will likely take the report and try to come up with ways in which the potentially selling Sox could be overwhelmed to part with Sale or Quintana, but FOX’s Ken Rosenthal emphasizes (via Twitter) that Sale won’t be moved, reporting that an unnamed team is said to have offered Chicago a “king’s ransom” for its ace within the past 48 hours, only to be met with a flat “no.” Another rival executive tells Rosenthal that teams have been asking for Quintana in trades for years, and the Sox have steadfastly refused (Twitter link).

Nightengale’s report is fairly surprising in that it suggests that Sox will at least entertain the notion of trading outfielder Adam Eaton, who has become one of baseball’s biggest bargains thanks to his elite all-around play and affordable contract. (I’d have pegged him to be among the “untouchable” group.) Eaton is hitting .271/.353/.393 with five homers, 11 steals and exceptional defense in right field, and he’s guaranteed just $21MM through the 2019 season (plus two options valued at $9.5MM and $10.5MM for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns). FanRag’s Jon Heyman reported earlier this morning that the Sox have already been receiving calls on Eaton, although I have to imagine that the asking price on him would be exorbitant.

Slugging first baseman Jose Abreu, too, would be a consideration under such criteria. He’s had a bit of a down season overall, slashing .266/.323/.423 but has turned things around at the plate dating back to June 1 (.299/.349/.478).  He’s owed $38.04MM through the end of the 2019 season, including the remainder of this year’s salary, though his contract allows him to opt into arbitration following the 2016 season if he wishes.

Heyman also reported this morning that closer David Robertson is receiving quite a bit of attention on the trade market as clubs look to acquire impact relievers. While Robertson’s 4.03 ERA on this season is a departure from his normal excellence, he’s been clobbered for 10 of his 17 earned runs in just two of his 37 appearances this season but has been largely effective outside of those hiccups. He’s owed $29.45MM through the end of the 2018 season and is still averaging 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, though he’s also averaging 4.9 walks in that same stretch as well. Both Nate Jones and Dan Jennings are having strong seasons and come with three-plus years affordable control (Jones via a three-year, $8MM extension with a pair of club options and Jennings via arbitration). Jones’ strong season and considerable control could make him tough to surrender, though.

Beyond those long-term assets, the South Siders have several other short-term and mid-term assets that are controllable through the end of the 2017 campaign as well as a few rentals. Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie, Melky Cabrera and Zach Duke are each free agents at the end of the 2017 season, while Dioner Navarro, Alex Avila and Justin Morneau are free agents following the current season. Frazier is tied for the Major League lead with 28 homers and is due an arbitration raise on his $8.25MM salary, while Lawrie has been about league-average at the plate and will get a bump from his $4.125MM salary. Cabrera has quietly been quite solid at the plate dating back to June 1 of last season, hitting .294/.338/.456 with 20 homers in 827 plate appearances, but the remaining $20.66MM on his deal is fairly steep. Duke is owed about $7.52MM from now through the end of his own contract and has logged a 2.97 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 58.1 percent ground-ball rate this year.

The change in course is a fairly surprising turn of events for a White Sox team that just last month proactively sprung to add James Shields in a trade with the Padres (Shields has righted the ship after a pair of early implosions with Chicago) and also added Justin Morneau while shedding Jimmy Rollins to open shortstop for Anderson. That series of win-now moves hasn’t changed the club’s fortunes, though, leading to a potentially uncharacteristic sell-off from a Sox club that is typically loath to do so. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf has long been said to be against such sales, and indeed, the Sox chose to hold onto the majority of their pieces last summer in spite of an opportunity to ship out veteran pieces, most notably Jeff Samardzija.

It remains, of course, far from clear that the Sox will clean house in any way. The very fact that they’re insistent in holding onto Sale, Quintana, etc. suggests they intend to aim for better results as soon as the 2017 season. As such, major dealings shouldn’t necessarily be the expectation, but the very fact that the Sox are open to the idea represents a rather significant philosophical change from where the team stood four to six weeks ago.

White Sox Activate Justin Morneau

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The White Sox have activated first baseman/designated hitter Justin Morneau from the disabled list and optioned outfielder Jason Coats to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

Morneau, 35, signed a one-year Major League deal with the Sox earlier this summer. He sat out the early portion of the season whilst recovering from offseason elbow surgery but has since completed a rehab assignment with the Sox, who will hope that he can add some left-handed pop to the middle of their lineup. In that sense, Morneau will fill the role that Adam LaRoche was expected to occupy when he signed prior to the 2015 season, though his pro-rated $1MM salary obviously comes at a fraction of the salary LaRoche forfeited when he retired in Spring Training.

It’s now been a decade since Morneau was named the American League MVP, but he had a pair of productive, albeit injury-shortened seasons with the Rockies in 2014-15. With Colorado, Morneau captured the National League batting title in 2014, and he hit a combined .316/.363/.487 in 184 games as a member of the Rockies. Playing his home games in Coors Field added those numbers, to be sure, but Morneau was as difficult to strike out as ever with the Rox — his 15.2 percent career strikeout rate is considerably lower than most power hitters — and was quite productive even on the road in 2014, suggesting that there’s still life left in his bat.

Health, of course, has been an issue for Morneau, who had what was shaping up to be his best season cut short in June 2010 when he suffered a concussion that plagued him for several years to come. He’s also undergone neck surgery and further concussions since taking a career-altering knee to the head while sliding into second base back in that 2010 season.

Morneau played in just eight games on his rehab assignment with the Sox, so there’s certainly a chance that he’ll be rusty out of the gate. However, the Sox have utilized Avisail Garcia as their primary designated hitter this season, and the once-promising outfielder has continued his big league struggles with a .232/.301/.332 batting line in 276 plate appearances. The ChiSox will hope that their former division rival can inject some life into that spot in the lineup as the club looks to remain in the race for the American League Central title or a Wild Card spot. Chicago currently trails Cleveland by seven games in the Central and is 4.5 games back from a Wild Card spot.

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