Orioles win claim on Mariners OF/1B Mike Morse

Baltimore now has 48 hours to try to work out a deal with Seattle.

Aug 29, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

Otto Greule Jr

The Baltimore Orioles have put in the winning waiver claim on Seattle Mariners OF/1B Michael Morse, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.

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If any other American League team with a worse record than the O’s had put in a claim -- i.e. more than half the league -- then Baltimore would have been blocked out on Morse.

Since that didn’t happen, however, the M’s and O’s now have a 48-hour window to try working out a deal that will send the veteran slugger to Baltimore. Seattle has the option of letting Morse go to the Orioles for nothing, working out a trade for a player not on the 40-man roster (and/or cash), or pulling him back from the waiver wire.

The Orioles have been on the lookout for some bench and DH help for months now, and may finally have their man in Morse. The club also has a waiver claim in on Twins outfielder Josh Willingham, so it's unclear what they'll do about Morse if they work out a deal there.

The 31-year-old slugger has struggled this year with the Mariners -- batting just .226/.283/.410 with 13 home runs in 76 games -- but he’s been slowed down by a series of injuries. Some of his hitting woes could also be attributed to playing half of his games in cavernous Safeco Field, which is historically where right-handed power hitters go to die.

According to Statcorner, the three-year park factor at Safeco for right-handed homers is just 74, meaning they hit dingers there with 26 percent less frequency than in a neutral park. Meanwhile, in Camden Yards, the park factor for right-handed home runs in 116, which is a massive swing in Morse’s favor. Of course, the fences were moved in in Seattle this season, so the difference probably isn’t that large, but a move to Baltimore should still be a positive one for Morse and the O’s nonetheless.