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.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
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.