Contrary to an earlier report, free-agent first baseman Logan Morrison didn't turn down a two-year, $20-million offer from the Cleveland Indians in December, according to his agent, Fred Wray, because such an offer never existed.
"Never happened," Wray told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Whether Cleveland made any offer to Morrison remains unclear.
Shortly before Christmas, in lieu of signing Morrison, the Indians finalized a two-year, $16-million contract with first baseman Yonder Alonso, a newly minted All-Star, that includes a $9-million club option (with a $1-million buyout) for the 2020 campaign.
Now, as with most free agents this offseason, Morrison's market appears rather limited. A Kansas City native, he's expressed his desire to play for the Royals, calling the possibility a "dream come true" in November, but the club seems more focused on re-signing Eric Hosmer at the moment. While Morrison has also been linked to the Boston Red Sox, it's difficult to imagine the team adding another left-handed-hitting first baseman after re-signing Mitch Moreland to a two-year contract in December.
Excluding Hosmer, Morrison is arguably the best first baseman available in free agency following his breakout 2017 campaign. Last year, in his second season with the Tampa Bay Rays, the 30-year-old set career highs in virtually every offensive category, including WAR (3.3), OPS (.868), wRC+ (130), home runs (38), and games played (149). He isn't attached to draft-pick compensation, either, as he never received a qualifying offer from the Rays.
