Brandon Morrow looking to make comeback with Padres
After back-to-back seasons in which he made just a combined 16 starts for the Toronto Blue Jays, right-handed pitcher Brandon Morrow is set to try to revive his career with the San Diego Padres.
The 30-year-old with a history of oblique, forearm, and finger issues agreed Tuesday to join the Padres on a low risk, high reward one-year deal worth $2.5 million plus incentives. MLB.com Padres reporter Corey Brock was first to report the news and has the contract details:
Morrow is the second oft-injured Blue Jays pitcher in two years to attempt a fresh start with the Padres. Josh Johnson had a disastrous 2013 season in Toronto after being acquired in the mega-trade with the Miami Marlins. Johnson went 2-8 with a 6.20 earned-run average and pitched just 81.1 innings. In November 2013, Johnson signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Padres – but never saw the field. In April, he underwent his second Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2014 season. The Padres did not pick up his option and he remains a free agent.
Morrow, who in addition to his injury woes suffers from diabetes, can only hope to do better in San Diego than Johnson did. Morrow was reportedly offered an opportunity to fight for a spot in the Blue Jays bullpen, but his preference is to start.
Despite 2015 being his age-31 season, Morrow has the pedigree to get back on track. He was a first-round pick, fifth overall, of the Seattle Mariners in 2006. He arrived in Toronto via trade in late 2009 in exchange for reliever Brandon League. The Blue Jays moved him from the bullpen to the starting rotation and for a while it looked like they had a budding ace. Morrow made 26 starts and won 10 games in 2010. On Aug. 8 of that year, he threw a memorable one-hit shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out 17 and losing his no-hit bid with two out in the ninth. He followed that up with a breakout 2011 season, making 30 starts, winning 11 games, and striking out 203 batters in 179.1 innings.
But soon after, his injuries woes began and he’s been unable to stay on the field since. He missed 64 games in 2012 with an oblique injury, 107 games with a strained right forearm in 2013, and another 107 games last year due to a finger injury.
When he’s healthy and at his best Morrow possesses a mid-90s fastball and a great slider he uses for his outpitch. In his breakout 2011 season he had an AL-best 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings rate.
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