Mariners sign Hart, acquire Morrison

The Seattle Mariners were busy Wednesday, as they made two moves that continue their slew of notable move this offseason. The Mariners signed 1B/OF Corey Hart to a one-year, $5 million deal. The deal can provide up to $13 million in incentives, according to reports. Another 1B/OF, Logan Morrison, was also acquired by the Mariners, in exchange for pitcher Carter Capps. 

Hart: Corey Hart missed the entire 2013 campaign with a knee injury. After receiving surgery on January 1, 2013, Hart was unable to return to the Brewers in the final year of his contract. Early Wednesday morning it seemed as if Hart was nearing a re-signing with the Brewers, but later in the day, he decided on Seattle. Last with the Brewers in 2012, Hart hit .270/.334/.507 with 30 home runs and 83 RBI, providing rare right-handed power. For his career, Hart has hit .276/.334/.491 while averaging 26 home runs and 87 RBI per 162 games. Although Hart played in the outfield for most of his career (793 of 898 games), expect him to play first in Seattle. Due to his knee injuries, Hart will likely be unable to continue playing in the outfield. He spent 103 games at first base in 2012 with the Brewers. 

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Morrison: Logan Morrison hit .242/.333/.375 with 6 home runs and 36 RBI in 85 games with the Miami Marlins. A hot topic on the trade market, Morrison was expected to play first with his new club. It seems unlikely after joining Seattle, who already acquired another first baseman earlier in the day, Corey Hart. Like Hart, Morrison was forced to have knee surgery ( on September 5, 2012), but was able to come back with the Marlins. Spending all 79 games (Morrison played the field in 79 of his 85 games) at first, Morrison was expected to play first again in 2014. If Seattle doesn't deal him elsewhere, he'll be sticking to his original position, left field. It's possible that Seattle has more optimism with Morrison in the outfield (than Hart) because Morrison is younger (Morrison is 26, Hart is 32). 

Both of these guys will continue to build around Seattle's Robinson Cano. They will likely provide protection for Cano in the lineup as Seattle looks to make the postseason for the first time since 2001. As we've learned from past experiences (Marlins and Blue Jays), buying up teams usually don't work. Maybe Seattle is trying to build around one centerpiece, where these teams haven't. As for now, the Seattle Mariners have acquired both Corey Hart and Logan Morrison.

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