The Loop

Logan Morrison, who essentially called Yankees fans "stupid" last year, has signed with the Yankees. Awkward!

Minnesota Twins v Toronto Blue Jays

Tom Szczerbowski

Last MLB season, right around this time last year, then Minnesota Twins outfielder Logan Morrison turned himself into one of the more random villains among New York Yankees fans in recent memory. For a non-Red Sox (sock?), Oriole, Blue Jay, Ray, or Met to do that, you have to do one of two things: kill the Yankees every time you play them (think every single freaking player on the Angels in the mid 2000s, or Miguel Cabrera) or say something really stupid to piss off the Yankee faithful. Considering Morrison went 2-for-10 in their early-season series a year ago, it was not him being a "Yankee-killer" that made him public enemy No. 1 in the Bronx.

In fact, Morrison drew Yankees' fans ire the year prior when he said Yankee catcher Gary Sanchez did not belong in the Home Run Derby because he had only 13 homers. To be fair to Morrison, who was on the Tampa Bay Rays at the time, he had a legitimate gripe. Morrison was third in the AL in homers at the 2017 All-Star Break with 24, and did not get selected. Of course, Sanchez and teammate Aaron Judge wound up putting on a show that night, but Morrison still had a right to be ticked.

Morrison decided to keep digging his grave the following season by taking a major shot at Yankees fans prior to that 2018 April series between the Twins and Yanks in the Bronx. When asked by the St. Paul Pioneer Press to offer some thoughts about New York fans, Morrison had this to say:

“I’ve heard a lot of stuff but it’s not original,” he said. “It’s, ‘You suck,’ all that kind of stuff. I mean, they’ll boo me, but other than that …”

Rather than quit while ahead, Morrison piled on:

“They didn’t like the Gary Sanchez thing with the Home Run Derby,” Morrison said, “but you can’t fix stupid, you know?”

Unfortunately for Morrison, who put together a career season in 2017, he completely fell off a cliff after these comments, finishing the season with a batting average of .186, marking the only time in his career he finished below the Mendoza Line. He still managed to hit 15 homers and collect 39 RBIs in just 95 games, but that wasn't enough for the Twins to pick up the 31-year-old's 2019 contract option, making him a free agent. He remained unsigned throughout the off-season and into the beginning of the 2019 season. Ouch!

That was until Friday, when he was signed by ... drumroll please ... the New York Yankees! Brian Cashman, you sly devil!

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Morrison's deal is of the minor league variety (another ouch!), so he won't yet have to deal with the awkwardness of being in the same clubhouse as Gary Sanchez, which will undoubtedly lead to "oh, we're all good. Water under the bridge" comments to the media from all parties involved. But Morrison, who plays both outfield and first base, will absolutely have a shot to get called up to the big leagues if he shows any signs of his 2017 self. The Yankees have not only been bitten by the injury bug, but their first basemen situation isn't the best one. Luke Voit, the everyday man at the moment, has gotten off to a respectable start, but if he were to go down the Yanks would be in big trouble. Greg Bird both stinks and is injured AGAIN, which forced the Yankees to call up Mike Ford, who had hit five homers as the first baseman in Triple-A Scranton so far this year.

For now Morrison will start there and see if he can somehow work his way up. I speak for all us stupid Yankees fans in saying good luck, and we hope you make it to the big club so we can shower you with boos in your first at-bat in pinstripes, all out of love of course.