Giants Agree to Minor-League Contract with Morse, Ruggiano

Keeping up with the recent trend of loading up on potential options off the bench, the San Francisco Giants have brought Michael Morse back to the team on a minor-league contract, as reported by Matt Eddy of Baseball America on Twitter. Eddy also reports that San Francisco has signed veteran Justin Ruggiano to a minor-league contract as well.

The veteran quickly became a fan-favorite during his brief tenure in the City by the Bay, famous among home crowds for choosing a-ha’s “Take On Me” as his walk-up music. In 2014, his lone season with the Giants, Morse slugged 16 home runs with a slash line .279/.336/.475 while giving Bruce Bochy versatility by playing both first base and left field.

Morse’s most iconic moment in the orange and black came during Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals when he delivered a game-tying home run off the bench in the bottom of the eighth inning against Pat Neshek. As he rounded the bases, Morse couldn’t help show off his energy and iconic smile and the bench mobbed him as he walked down the steps of the dugout. The 40,000+ at AT&T Park requested a curtain call, and Morse, helmet hair and all, was happy to oblige.

He continued to display his heroics in the next round when he knocked in the go-ahead run in Game 7 of the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. In the 2014 postseason, Morse bat .300 with five RBIs and helped San Francisco secure its third championship in five seasons. Morse signed with the Miami Marlins the following offseason, but upon his return to San Francisco, he received his championship ring in a heartwarming moment.

Morse will turn 35 before next season begins, and what he has left in the tank is uncertain. He’s a career .276 hitter but does not complement it well with a low BB% of 6.3% and a high K% of 23.6%. At this stage in his career, his mobility limits him to first base. Should the Giants select him for the Opening Day roster, Bruce Bochy will undoubtedly utilize him as a pinch hitter. Kyle Blanks may prevent Morse from seeing the big leagues barring injury, as he can play both first base and outfield as well with a decent power stroke while being five years younger than Morse.

Following his one season with San Francisco, Morse has struggled to stay with one team long-term. Morse was Miami’s starting first baseman to start the 2015 season, but was shaky with his bat and lost his spot to Justin Bour. During his tenure South Beach, Morse looked nothing like the ballplayer who put up solid numbers the previous system, posting a .213/.276/.313 slash line in 53 games.

Miami traded Morse to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a three-team trade along with the Atlanta Braves. Los Angeles designated him for assignment immediately following the trade, then traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for Jose Tabata the next day. Morse showed signs of life despite a lack of power for Pittsburgh. In 82 plate appearances, he had a .275/.390/.391 slash line while striking out less and walking more compared to his time in Miami. The following season, Pittsburgh designated him for assignment on April 16th after eight plate appearances in which he did not reach base and released him on April 21st.

Ruggiano has been a career journeyman, playing for the Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, and New York Mets. The outfielder has played in more than 100 games only once and has a modest career slash line of .258/.322/.439.

The outfielder played fairly well in eight games for the Mets last season, totaling seven hits in 22 plate appearances, one of which was a grand slam against Madison Bumgarner at AT&T Park in August. Ruggiano suffered a shoulder injury shortly after getting the best of Bumgarner, only playing four more games before injuring his shoulder.

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