ORLANDO – The Giants hoped to make official one very big addition on Monday.
But first they must do a little subtraction.
Left fielder Michael Morse passed his physical and the Giants finalized his $6 million contract, which could be worth as much as $3 million more if he reaches incentives based on plate appearances.
But the Giants didn't announce it because club officials were working on a trade that would clear a space for him on the 40-man roster, with Brett Pill the most likely candidate to be dealt. The Giants have a surplus of backup middle infielders with Ehire Adrianza, Nick Noonan and Tony Abreu in addition to Joaquin Arias. But Pill is the more redundant piece because he’s a right-handed power hitter who plays left field and first base – the exact role that Morse was acquired to fill.
Pill would be out of minor league options next spring, so the Giants couldn’t stash him at Triple-A Fresno without exposing him to waivers.
The Milwaukee Brewers have a hole at first base after losing Corey Hart to the Seattle Mariners, and they're talking to the Mets about Ike Davis. Pill could represent an alternative for them.
Morse appeared on CSN Bay Area’s Yahoo SportsTalk Live and also spoke to KNBR on Monday about joining the Giants. He’ll be available to the beat reporters on a conference call Tuesday.
Hopefully it’ll last more than a minute or toooooooooooooooooo.
(See this if you’re confused.)
