Rosenthal on the Mike Morse Trade Market

With Adam LaRoche having re-signed with the Washington Nationals on a two year deal, and with the Nats having acquired Denard Span to join Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth in their outfield for 2013, Ken Rosenthal says the Nationals are going to look to trade outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse.

Morse would be a perfect fit for the Texas Rangers, who need a righthanded hitter who could play first base or left field to share time with Mitch Moreland and David Murphy. However, Rosenthal has this to say about Morse and the Rangers:

The Texas Rangers like Morse, but assume other teams will be more willing to meet the Nats’ price — high-ceiling prospects and possibly a left-handed reliever.

Morse is a free agent after 2013, and there appear to be teams that are pursuing him to be a starter, not a backup. I'm not sure what the price for Morse is going to be, but if the Nats can extract significant value from a team looking to use him as an everyday player -- say, for example, the M's -- then the Rangers would probably bow out.

I still look at free agent Scott Hairston as someone who would be a great fit for what the Rangers need, but there are no indications that the Rangers are pursuing him.