Nats Sign Adam LaRoche; Could Mets Land Mike Morse?

The Nationals on Tuesday re-signed first baseman Adam LaRoche and with a crowded outfield, the team could make outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse available. Could the outfielder-starved Mets be a landing spot?

The chances are unlikely. The odds are that the Nationals would  not want to trade the productive Morse within the division where he can come back and haunt them. Also, the Mets may not have what it takes to swing a trade.

There are reports that the Nats are looking for left handed relieving help. If that is the case, the Mets have Josh Edgin and Robert Carson to offer. But the Mets are very thin in the bullpen as it is, and neither of those two would probably be enough to get a slugger like Morse.

Washington GM Mike Rizzo disputes those reports, saying the team is not anxious to trade Morse. He also said he is happy with its bullpen make-up, pointing out that Davey Johnson is not a big lefty-righty switch kind of manager. Good for him; such switches are overrated.

Mike Morse would be a nice addition to the Citi Field outfield; he had a breakout year in 2011, batting .303 with 31 home runs and 95 RBIs. He had an injury-plagued 2012,  but he still managed 18 home runs in 102 games.

Morse will make $6.75 million in 2013. That is certainly an affordable number if the Mets were inclined to spend money, which we all know is not the team’s inclination.