Where did this Morse guy come from, anyway?

by hscer on Jul 20, 2011 10:21 PM EDT

Apologies if you have heard this story before, but it's actually pretty impressive how we got Michael Morse, now a key producer in the heart of the Washington Nationals lineup. And if you have not heard this story before, hopefully you find it as interesting as I do.

In June 2009, the Nationals traded with Seattle for Morse. In exchange, Washington gave up Ryan Langerhans.

Langerhans was a free agent signing of the Nationals from November of 2008.

However, he was initially acquired in a trade with Oakland. In exchange, Washington sent Oakland Chris Snelling.

Now things get interesting. The Nationals acquired Snelling in a trade with... Seattle. And who did we give up in this trade?

None other than Jose Vidro.

Vidro was a sixth round draft pick of Montreal in 1992. He was with the organization right up until that trade with Seattle.

That turned out to be quite a pick for the organization, didn't it? Vidro hit .301/.363/.459 in 10 years with Montreal/Washington, although his time in D.C. was marred by injuries. But after the Nationals traded him, he only played two more years, being released by Seattle in August 2008 and never playing again. In the meantime, Snelling, the player we acquired for Vidro, was traded for Langerhans. And less than a year after the end of Vidro's career, we traded Langerhans for Morse.

The rest, as they say, is history.

But it is also, hopefully, the future, provided the Nationals continue to get many happy homers from Michael John Morse.

(All transaction info thanks to Baseball-Reference)

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fascinating.........although at the time, and I was happy to see that "L" go, I figured it was trash for trash...

more AAAA fodder……..a giant minor league “shortstop”….

Jose Vidro was a hero of mine, too…

"And, finally, enough of this stockpiling prospects stuff. The object of this game isn’t to get a nice review in Baseball America, or climb the rankings in Baseball Prospectus." - Mark, centerfieldgate.com

by cat daddy3000 on Jul 20, 2011 10:54 PM EDT reply actions

I was sorry to see Vidro go

although I always liked Snelling’s potential (too bad his body was so fragile), and could see Vidro’s defense had declined mightily (precurser to his DP partner Guzman).

Fingers crossed that the past year’s production is an indicator that Morse is a for-real late bloomer. I’d rather he stay at 1B, since his OF play is, while not quite Dunn-esque, slightly below Willingham’s (another converted IF). I think Pujols is a pipe dream, and Fielder would make the last years of Werth’s contract seem a bargain.

Brain: "Pinky, are you pondering what i'm pondering?"
Pinky: "Yes, but isn't a cucumber that small called a gherkin?"

by jbg2772 on Jul 21, 2011 10:50 AM EDT up reply actions

Morse is an infielder. 1B is his position. His bat blossomed there. His glove is fine. I hope Davey doesn't screw with this.

Vidro declined in parallel with the Expos……. and I’m glad he got a couple more years after he left the Nats…

by cat daddy3000 on Jul 21, 2011 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Years on the carpeted concrete at the Stade Olympique ruined his knees...

…or so Patrick says. I only saw him with the Nats, so he’ll always be “The Immobile” Jose Vidro to me.

"I don't believe in luck, but it was just one of those things where it wasn't really skill, either." --Jerry, jr.

by Doghouse on Jul 21, 2011 10:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Vidro made plays the same that Espinosa is showing off right now....

and on hard astroturf that ruined everyone’s knees…he was spectacular… at had the bat.
The All Star year in 2000……..25 year’s old……24HR, 97RBI, .330/.379/.540/.918
126OPS+

"Let’s ask Witch Doghouse for some charms for the trend to continue!" by jbg2772 on Jul 21, 2011

by cat daddy3000 on Jul 21, 2011 11:39 PM EDT up reply actions