Nationals lock up OF Morse: The Nationals and OF Michael Morse reached an agreement on a two-year deal on Friday, avoiding arbitration. Morse had a breakout year for the Nationals last season, hitting .303 with 31 homers and a .910 OPS. (Updated 01/20/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Morse showed flashes of potential prior to 2011, performing well as an injury replacement for Josh Willingham late in 2010 and putting up monster power numbers last spring. But he didn't solidify his place in Fantasy until about the middle of May last season. From May 22 to the end of the season, he hit .313 with 29 homers in only 110 games. Because Morse is a late bloomer, some Fantasy owners might be wary of paying too much for him on Draft Day, but this contract shows that the Nationals are all-in on him. If nothing else, you can count on Morse for a healthy number of homers, so he's well worth a middle-round pick in mixed leagues. (Updated 01/20/2012).
02/10/2012 13:27 2012 Draft Prep: 12-team, mixed H2H draft
Which picks stood out in our initial 12-team Head-to-Head mock draft for 2012? Check out the results and read what Scott White has to say about some of the more interesting selections.
02/02/2012 12:21 2012 Draft Prep: Our 12-team, mixed Rotisserie draft
It's time for owners to start looking ahead to Draft Day. We get you off and running with our 12-team Rotisserie mock draft. Check out the results!
When Michael Morse hit .303 with seven homers in 132 at-bats late in 2010, a handful of Fantasy owners began buying into him as a sleeper. When he hit .364 with nine homers in 66 at-bats last spring, so did everyone else. Of course, he then hit .211 in April, sending everyone scrambling to the waiver wire for Alex Gordon or -- gulp -- Alfonso Soriano, but let's just forget about that part and bask in the glory of what was Morse's breakout season. The fact that he managed to hit .303 with 31 homers after getting off to such a miserable start shows just how locked in he was the rest of the way. He even played through a hairline fracture in his forearm in July, hitting .396 over his next 26 games. Of course, power was his primary contribution. His .550 slugging percentage ranked ninth among players with at least 500 at-bats. Morse was considered a journeyman before getting his shot with the Nationals, and his late-bloomer status might scare some Fantasy owners away on Draft Day. But given his steady buildup to the breakthrough, not to mention his 6-foot-5 frame, he certainly has the look of a middle-of-the-order hitter. Morse is a worthy starter at either first base or the outfield and likely won't slip past Round 8 or 9 in mixed leagues. (Updated 1/18/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
