Get to Know a Brewers Non-roster Invitee: Logan Morrison

The Milwaukee Brewers have 21 non-roster invitees in camp. One of them is first baseman Logan Morrison. Does Morrison have a shot a spot on the active roster?

Seeing Logan Morrison‘s name on a list of non-roster invitees in 2020 was not how his career was supposed to play out. Morrison made his Major League debut at the age of 22 in 2010. He posted his first 20-homer season in his first full year in the Majors. He bashed 38 homers in 2017. He also suffered a season-ending injury in 2018 that required surgery.

Now? He’s fighting for a spot on a crowded Brewers roster.

What happened to Morrison? Can he make the active roster out of Spring Training?

When did Morrison’s career take a turn?

After Morrison’s big year in 2017, he signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Twins that included a club option for 2019. Morrison only played 95 games due to a hip injury that required surgery, and posted a .186/.276/.368 slash line in 359 plate appearances.

In 2019, Morrison had to settle for a Minor League deal with the New York Yankees, and chose to opt out halfway through the year. He signed another Minor League deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. He did return to the Majors, and managed a .200/.263/.400 slash line in limited action in the second half of the year.

Has Morrison played yet this Spring?

He has! Morrison has appeared in a pair of games and has five plate appearances. He’s 0-for-4 with one walk.

Can Morrison make the Brewers active roster?

The only way Morrison makes the active roster out of camp is if he absolutely rakes and Justin Smoak or Ryan Braun suffers an injury that would require a trip to the Injured List. If that happened, he would still have to beat Ryon Healy for a spot on the roster.

Morrison is still good enough to earn a spot on a Major League roster, but there are a lot of similarly skilled players at the same position. Finding a roster spot for a first baseman/left fielder/DH is a challenge. Morrison needs to catch a break to make the Brewers active roster, but it’s looking very likely that he would have to spend some time in Triple-A before getting another shot at the Majors. There’s a non-zero chance that he chooses to look elsewhere for a spot on another team’s roster before Opening Day.