Logan Morrison eager to prove himself as Mariners’ starting 1B

Logan Morrison will be the everyday first baseman after hitting .321 over the final two months in 2014. (AP)

Last year the door was cracked for Logan Morrison. This year it’s wide open.

After being traded to the Mariners prior to the 2014 season, Morrison was given an opportunity to compete for the first base position in Seattle. And while most of his previous MLB experience was as an outfielder, the now 27-year-old was able to shake off an almost two-month long DL stint and flash off enough leather to become the team’s regular option at first by the end of the season.

Morrison also showed signs of a productive hitter during the Mariners’ late-season push – he posted a .321 average with six homers and 20 RBIs over the final 49 games of the season – and the good will that created has carried over to this coming season as he’s expected to be the Mariners’ everyday first baseman.

Morrison talked with 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Bob and Groz” on Tuesday what it’s like knowing a starting job is his going into spring training, especially at the position he had to abandon just as he entered the big leagues.

“First base is my natural position coming up through the minor leagues, and then two weeks before I got called up to the Marlins they were like, ‘Why don’t you go play outfield?'” Morrison said. “So I went and played left, didn’t play first for about two, three years, and just started playing first again last year, and I enjoy it.

“I’m glad I’ll be the everyday first baseman, get a chance to prove that if I can stay healthy that I’ll put up numbers and it doesn’t matter if it’s a left-hander or a right-hander (pitching).”

The full interview with Morrison, including his thoughts on the Mariners’ lofty expectations and preparing for the season in spring training, can be found here on the “Bob and Groz” podcast page.