Perhaps it’s premature to cue up Player’s “Baby Come Back,” but the notion of Justin Morneau returning to the Minnesota Twins is still lingering out there in the baseball world.
The latest pot-stirring comes from the Star Tribune’s Sid Hartman (or should that be Sid Hartman’s Star Tribune?), who went ahead and asked the one-time league MVP and fan favorite if he would don a Twins uniform again.
“My options are all open,” he tells Sid. “I’ve got 30 options. Obviously some of them are less of a chance than others, but I’m open to anything right now.”
Morneau can’t talk to any teams except the Pirates until five days after the World Series ends. “I enjoyed my time there and I enjoyed my time in Minnesota. But we’ll see what the best situation is for my family and myself.”
The idea of his return was covered just last week by BringMeTheNews, but rumors are heating up.
Forget about whether Morneau wants to come back for a second – do the Twins want him back? That’s a subject that’s been broached, especially if the market demands that he’s a former AL MVP, and not the slightly-better-than-journeyman player he’s been since the concussion and wrist injuries that have plagued him.
Here, for instance, is a breakdown of his current salary situation, right down to his taxes paid and how much he earns with each at bat.
MLB Trade Rumors says that Morneau would like to come back, but he’d also want to be on a contender.
And MLB.com says there are mixed feelings on both sides – the team and Morneau – about his return.
