NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Mark Melancon flew back to his Texas home after passing a physical Monday. He’s thousands of miles from the action at the Winter Meetings in Maryland, but for a minute Tuesday, he played the part of reporter.
On a conference call to discuss a four-year, $62 million deal with the Giants, Melancon noted that he has talked to Bryan Morris about playing with the Giants. General manager Bobby Evans later confirmed that Morris, a right-handed reliever, will be in camp as a non-roster invitee, assuming their deal is finalized without any hiccups.
The 29-year-old made 24 appearances for the Marlins last season, posting a 3.06 ERA and 1.41 WHIP in 17 2/3 innings. He had surgery in June to repair a herniated lumbar disk.
Morris has a 2.80 ERA in 211 big league appearances for the Marlins and Pirates, where Melancon was a teammate. He has a low strikeout rate, but he generally has done a good job of keeping the ball in the park and on the ground, two traits the Giants look for. Morris relied on a fastball, slider and cutter last season, with the fastball averaging 93-95 mph during his career.
Evans said on Monday that any additions to the bullpen from here on out will likely be non-roster invitees who can try to win a big league job in Scottsdale.
