Tag Archives: Mitch Moreland

08 Mar

happy trails

Mitch Moreland, one of the Magnolia State’s most prolific home run hitters, has retired from major league baseball, the Amory native and ex-Mississippi State star told a Boston radio station on Tuesday. Moreland hit 186 homers over his 12 years in the big leagues, ranking sixth on the state’s all-time list. The lefty-hitting first baseman won a World Series with Boston in 2018, also earned an All-Star Game selection that season and won a Gold Glove with Texas in 2016. He batted .251 with 618 RBIs and compiled a 10.9 WAR for his career, which spanned 2010-21. He did not play in 2022. He is currently in Red Sox spring camp working as an invited instructor. P.S. Here’s the top 10 home run hitters among Mississippi natives: Ellis Burks 352, Dave Parker 339, George Scott 271, Chet Lemon 215, Brian Dozier 192, Mitch Moreland 186, Dmitri Young 171, Bill Melton 160, Frank White 160, Hunter Renfroe 157. Renfroe, from Crystal Springs, is the only one still active.

14 May

call him maybe

This much is clear from recent comments by Mitch Moreland: He is not retired. The ex-Mississippi State standout from Amory is home in Alabama enjoying the family life, but he has not stored away the bat and glove. On a podcast produced by WEEI radio in Boston, the 12-year major league veteran said he just hasn’t received any attractive offers since the 2021 season ended. “To be honest, I thought I would have more opportunities than were presented,” he said. Moreland is 36 and had a down year with Oakland in ’21, finishing on the disabled list with a wrist injury. But it would seem that some club might take a flier on a career .251 hitter with lefty power (186 homers) and a good glove at first base. He spent parts of four seasons in Boston, which has a serious need at first. “It’s my favorite place I have played,” said Moreland, who helped the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series. Maybe a reunion is in the offing.

13 Aug

gotta have a plan

When Mitch Moreland signed with Oakland as a free agent this past off-season, it was with the understanding that he’d be primarily a designated hitter in 2021. It was a role the ex-Mississippi State standout had never filled before in a big league career that began in 2010 and has been spent mostly in the American League. “It’s definitely going to be different,” he said in a published interview before the season, “so I’m kind of looking forward to (spring) camp to figure out how to transition into that a little bit better. Get a game plan together for that job. I can’t answer it yet.” It’s August, and the game plan is still a work in progress. Moreland, 35, is hitting just .230 with nine homers and 27 RBIs over 71 games — 54 of those as a DH, six as a first baseman. Maybe something clicked on Thursday, when Moreland blasted two homers in a 17-0 win over Cleveland. The homers were his first since July 16. He is batting .200 since the All-Star break. The lefty-hitting Moreland, who has always hit right-handers well, isn’t even starting every game against them. He has a career .251 average and 185 homers, the kind of power the A’s were seeking when they signed him. Oakland, which has won seven in a row and 11 of 13, is a serious playoff contender. Perhaps Moreland, who has been a productive postseason hitter (.259, four homers, 19 RBIs in 52 games), can figure something out down the stretch. There’s still time to be a contributor in meaningful games ahead. P.S. MSU alum Jacob Robson made his big league debut Thursday for Detroit, going 0-for-2 in a win over Baltimore. Robson, a lefty-hitting outfielder, was batting .275 at Triple-A Toledo after hitting .424 in 18 games at Double-A Erie to start 2021. He joins Justin Steele, Nick Sandlin and Jack Kruger as Mississippians who debuted in the majors this year.

12 May

high praise

Mitch Moreland, who spent parts of four seasons in a Red Sox uniform, returned to Boston Tuesday as a member of the Oakland A’s and got a standing ovation as he dug in for his first at-bat. Before the series between the two division leaders began, the former Mississippi State star from Amory was showered with high praise from the other clubhouse. “Mitch is a good player, man, and a great person, and what he brought to the equation in the clubhouse was kind of like a sense of calmness, you know?” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in a story on nesn.com. “He’s one of my favorites, to be honest with you.” Moreland helped Cora and the Red Sox win a World Series in 2018. Cora said the left-handed hitting first baseman “was probably one of the most important players that we had in ’18.” Moreland went 1-for-4 in Tuesday’s game as the A’s took a 3-2 win. He is batting .220 with four homers and 15 RBIs as Oakland’s primary DH. A 12-year veteran, Moreland is a .251 career hitter with 180 homers and, befitting his “2-Bags” nickname, 210 doubles. P.S. Ole Miss product Bobby Wahl is on a rehab assignment with the Biloxi Shuckers, Milwaukee’s Double-A affiliate, and likely will pitch in this week’s series against the Mississippi Braves. The oft-injured Wahl has pitched in 17 MLB games over parts of three seasons stretching back to 2017. He was a fifth-round pick by Oakland in 2013.

18 Feb

better late …

After what felt like an oddly long wait, Mitch Moreland has a job for 2021. The former Mississippi State standout will play for Oakland, having agreed to a $2.25 million deal. He’ll likely be the DH for a team that expects to contend in the American League West. The A’s have slick-fielding Matt Olson at first base but recently traded away Khris Davis, their primary DH last year. Moreland, 35, has been in the big leagues since 2010 and carries a .252 average with 176 home runs. He hit 10 bombs last season, split between Boston and San Diego. P.S. Add the names of Grae Kessinger (Houston), Kirk McCarty (Cleveland), Jacob Robson (Detroit), Trent Giambrone (Chicago Cubs), Ryan Rolison (Colorado), David Parkinson (Philadelphia) and Cody Carroll (Baltimore) to the list of Magnolia State college alums headed to big league camps as non-roster players.

30 Dec

market analysis

Though Mitch Moreland, arguably the most highly regarded Mississippian to hit the free agent market this year, remains unsigned as 2020 draws to a close, it hasn’t been a quiet off-season for state-connected players. A flurry of activity has seen Lance Lynn, Hunter Renfroe, Jonathan Holder and Nate Lowe change uniforms, Kendall Graveman quickly re-sign with his 2020 club and several minor leaguers find 2021 teams. To recap: Ole Miss product Lynn was traded from Texas to the Chicago White Sox. … Ex-Mississippi State star Renfroe signed a free agent deal with Boston. … MSU alum Holder signed as a free agent with the Cubs. … MSU alum Lowe was traded from Tampa Bay to Texas. … Graveman, another MSU product, returned to Seattle’s fold a day after the Mariners declined his option. … While we eagerly await Moreland’s signing, don’t forget that also left on the MLB market are Jarrod Dyson and Billy Hamilton (and for that matter, Brian Dozier and Zack Cozart). … On the minor league front: State college alums Tyreque Reed (Boston), Chuckie Robinson (Cincinnati) and Errol Robinson (Reds) moved to new systems in the Rule 5 draft. Ole Miss product Aaron Barrett, who battled back from myriad injuries to make five MLB appearances the last two years, re-signed a minors deal with Philadelphia. More recently, Itawamba Community College alum Tim Dillard re-signed with Texas and ex-UM standout Chris Ellis signed with Tampa Bay. Veteran right-hander Dillard, 37, has made 584 professional appearances dating to 2003 but hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2012. Ellis, a former Mississippi Braves star, has found some success in the Dominican Winter League with a 2.35 ERA over five appearances this season. Pitching for Gigantes del Cibao, right-hander Ellis is 1-0 with 24 strikeouts in 23 innings. He made one MLB appearance (with Kansas City as a Rule 5 pick) in 2019, then finished the season with St. Louis’ Triple-A Memphis club. He was released by the Cardinals this summer.

02 Nov

on the market

From all indications, San Diego wasn’t displeased with Mitch Moreland this season but declined to pick up his $3M option for 2021 just the same. The uncertainty over whether the DH will be used in the National League next year may have been the key factor. The former Mississippi State standout, 35, is sure to draw interest on the free agent market, possibly even from San Diego. “We may have some more conversations regarding Mitch going forward,” Padres GM A.J. Preller told mlb.com. Milwaukee is another club rumored to have interest, and there is always the possibility Moreland could return to Boston, where he had considerable success. Three different times since 2016 Moreland has signed as a free agent with the Red Sox. From 2017 to August of 2020, he called Fenway Park home and hit 66 homers during that period. He has 176 career homers over 11 MLB seasons, ranking sixth all-time among Mississippi natives. Traded from Boston to the Padres at the deadline this summer, Moreland batted .265 overall with 10 homers in 2020 and went 4-for-8 in the playoffs. He’s a standout first baseman and is also regarded as a good guy in the clubhouse.

30 Aug

this just in

Mitch Moreland is moving from the last-place Boston Red Sox to playoff-contender San Diego. The ex-Mississippi State standout from Amory was traded by the Red Sox for two prospects and joins a Padres team that stands second in the National League West and has the third-best record in the league at 20-15. Moreland, in his 11th MLB campaign, is batting .328 with eight homers and 21 RBIs this season. The Padres have lefty-hitting Eric Hosmer at first base, so Moreland, also a lefty, might be ticketed for duty as a DH.

19 Aug

high performance

There is no MLB award for Best Performance on a Lousy Team, but if there were, Mitch Moreland would be a top candidate. Moreland, the former Mississippi State standout from Amory, leads the Boston Red Sox in batting, slugging, homers and RBIs. The Red Sox, whose depleted pitching staff can’t get anybody out, are 7-18 after halting a nine-game losing skid today. Moreland, who went 2-for-3, is at .348, almost 100 points above his career average. The lefty hitter is even 3-for-8 vs. left-handers, whom he rarely faces. He has six homers and 14 RBIs in 16 games. An 11-year veteran at 34, Moreland is in his fourth year with Boston, having signed with the Red Sox three times as a free agent. He’ll be a free agent again after this season, which raises the possibility that he might be traded before the Aug. 31 deadline if the Red Sox look to add pieces for the future. “We understand this time of year that kind of stuff is a possibility, but we’ve got more things going on in the immediate future for us right now,” Moreland said in a recent Providence Journal story. “Just trying to get back to playing good baseball and getting back on track here.” He has played good baseball, very good. The team may be hopelessly lost.

29 Jan

reunited

Mitch Moreland and the Boston Red Sox have a thing. For the third time in four years, ex-Mississippi State star Moreland has signed as a free agent with the Red Sox. The latest deal is one year with an option worth $3 million. Over his three seasons with Boston, the lefty-hitting first baseman, 34, has batted .247 with 56 home runs and 205 RBIs. In two postseasons for the club, he is 10-for-30 with three doubles, a homer, five RBIs and seven runs. He has won a ring and made an All-Star Game appearance while with the BoSox. He won a Gold Glove with Texas in 2016. Before signing Moreland, Boston was heading into spring training with two young players, second-year man Michael Chavis and untested Bobby Dalbec, penciled in at first base. As Boston-based nesn.com described it, the Moreland addition “wasn’t a big move, but it was a prudent one.” Moreland, who broke in with the Rangers in 2010, has 166 career homers, seventh all-time among Mississippi natives. Nicknamed “2-Bags” while in Boston, he has 199 career doubles. … Notable Mississippians still on the MLB free agent market are Brian Dozier, Jarrod Dyson, Billy Hamilton and Tony Sipp.