Just when you thought Morin could not become any more of the workhorse for this team, he now comes into the 2017 season as the only catcher on the roster. In years past, this might not be a problem with the team playing strictly single games a few times a week. Now that the Jays have entered the Boys of Summer League, that type of schedule is no longer the case.
Morin finished last season with a .256 batting average and .333 on base percentage. His five doubles were tied for the team lead with Fauvell. His name was always smacked right in the middle of the lineup every single night, whether it was in the four, five, or six spot.
His role in 2017 will obviously be to be behind the plate as often as possible, but catching a doubleheader in the summer heat is not an ideal situation for anyone. With the help of Morin, the Jays can develop a second reliable catcher on the roster, whether it is Fauvell or Wanderlingh or a third party that has not surfaced just yet.
The preferred scenario for Morin is to have his bat in the lineup each and every game. The scenario is to have him behind the plate for as many innings possible. Finally, that scenario will give him a breather to DH or EH for game two or whenever realistic. The problem with a breather is that Morin is also the second string first baseman behind Prinzivalli as of today, making it very unclear at the moment where rest is going to be realistic for the third year Blue Jay.
The positive in all of this is Morin's work ethic and passion to play every day. He does not want to ever be taken out of the lineup for rest. Even though his body might tell him otherwise, he wants to help this ball club win games every night. He wants to be out there every inning of every game.
The Blue Jays have to deal with this situation right away as they begin their season with a Memorial Day tournament, consisting of playing four games in two days. Head Coach, Joe Wanderlingh, will be looking to give his catcher some kind of schedule to get accustomed to, and communication will be the key to success out of this situation.
Morin is needed for this team to operate, making him the most valuable player heading into the 2017 season.
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