There is no doubt the Baltimore Orioles are dying to make the playoffs once again. They were probably the busiest team during the MLB trade deadline. Now, they are making waiver moves and their latest rumored acquisition brings Mike Morse from the Seattle Mariners over to Baltimore. What difference can Morse make for the O's?
Don't expect Morse to wear a glove while with the Orioles. He will probably strictly provide offense for the Orioles as they are in search of a stable designated hitter. So far in 2013, the Orioles have used 14 DH's with Nolan Reimold getting the most play. Reimold has been the team's designated hitter in 28 games this season, uncorking three home runs and seven RBI, which is pretty lame from a lineup spot that should provide offense.
In total, the Orioles have received poor production out of their DH. The O's have received 17 home runs, 51 RBI and 120 strikeouts with a .217 batting average and .279 on-base percentage out of their DH spot. Danny Valencia has been the most productive DH in their lineup and he's second in the team with 24 games played. He has five home runs and 10 RBI, while posting a .275 batting average.
Morse's number aren't that much better, but he's always a threat to go deep and batting in the Orioles' lineup will only make him dangerous. There wasn't much protection in Seattle, though Raul Ibanez and Kendry Morales have smoked the baseball in 2013. Morse is hitting .226 with 13 home runs and 27 RBI in 76 games played this season. He has been unable to remain healthy, which has been the story of his career. He's far removed from the player who smashed 31 home runs and drove in 95 RBI in 2011 with the Washington Nationals, but it will be interesting to see what the O's can get out of Morse in Baltimore.
The Orioles are in a playoff race and they face their division rival, New York Yankees on Friday evening. Baltimore is currently in third place in the A.L. East, 6.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox, but they are within striking distance in the A.L. Wild Card, trailing the Oakland Athletics by just 3.5 games. With more than a month of baseball remaining, the Orioles have plenty of time to catch up. Morse now legitimizes their threat out of the DH spot, bolstering their offense.
