Oct 7, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Michael Morse (38) runs to third during the eighth inning of the 2012 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Nationals won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

This is the second time that I followed a team through a trade of Morse. I was a Seattle Mariners fan when they traded him for Ryan Langerhans, and I liked the trade then. Morse had a huge Spring Training but everyone has a huge Spring Training and a lot of the time nothing comes of it. Morse, obviously proved to be the exception. Morse had one great year before injuries affected him last year, and while he could have spelled in the corners and at first base, the Nationals are definitely a better organization for letting him go and collecting from prospects back.

Think about this for a second:

To Oakland: Derek Norris, Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone, Mike Morse

To Washington: Gio Gonzalez, Blake Treinen, Player to be Named Later

A.J. Cole is the player missing from that list, as I didn’t think it was fair to include him when technically in that example, he wouldn’t have been traded. Cole struggled last year and is still a couple of years away from the Major Leagues which is OK for the Nationals because they have so few pitching prospects, especially with the potential that Cole has.

Treinen is an intriguing prospect. He has a mid-high 90s fastball and has shown as much as last year an improving change up and started 15 games at high-A last year. He didn’t embarrass himself, and although he’s older at 24, he should be progressing fast enough through the organization, especially with the lack of depth in the organization.

It is a good haul for Morse who had one year left and had limited value for this Nationals team. I don’t dislike Morse, but when the team signed Adam LaRoche, the writing was on the wall that Morse would be moved – the team’s decision on Morse was finalized as soon as LaRoche signed.

Oct 8, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Adam LaRoche (25) celebrates with left fielder Michael Morse (38) after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of game two of the 2012 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals won 12-4. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Just looking at the numbers, Morse seems to be the better choice. He is younger, and even with injuries last year had similar on base numbers compared to LaRoche. However, there are arguments for LaRoche and I will get into them.

First, because the two players are quite similar, the Nationals might be better off trading Morse. In that way, they can get something for him (maybe relievers? prospects?) and then they will be able to sign LaRoche. That makes the Nationals better, too.

However, the fact is, there is no guarantee that LaRoche will be able to put up numbers he did last season. LaRoche is 32. His most similar player is Tony Clark. As it turns out, Clark’s age-33 season was one of the best of his career. He hit 30 home runs and hit .304/.366/.636. The problem wasn’t so much that season, but that it was his last good season. LaRoche will not accept a one-year contract, which means the Nationals will need to put out more years and a bigger commitment. So while you may want LaRoche over Morse in 2013, do you want a 34-year old LaRoche over a 32-year old Morse in 2014? Two years don’t make a difference but it is something to consider.

There are other factors at stake, like a little thing I like to call Morse’s 2011 season. He was even better than LaRoche in 2012. He hit .303/.360/.550 with 31 home runs and 95 RBI. If he is healthy that is what he could bring in 2013.

There are other issues that I alluded to earlier. By committing to LaRoche, you lock him in. He can only play first base or be a pinch hitter. Morse is not a great fielder in the outfield but at least can play there in a pinch.

What it comes down to, simply, is what you can get for Morse and how much LaRoche will want in that second (or even third) year. The two players are quite similar and can both go in either direction. There is no right answer now but there will be comparisons between the two no matter what is chosen. Personally, I think I’m leaning towards Morse/Moore in 2013 than LaRoche but could be swayed based on what Morse could bring back in a trade but know that this is a much harder decision than just looking at 2012 numbers. After 2011, this would have been a no-brainer for Morse. Things can change so quickly in baseball.

And the way things are going, things can change by the time this post is on the internet…

Sep 27, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder Michael Morse (38) homers during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals defeated the Phillies 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Morse is a bat in the second half of the order that they need to pick it up as the playoffs approach. Morse had struggled in August and September prior to yesterday’s game so it was big to have him get that game out of the way and show that he is still the big bat the Nationals need. Along with Ian Desmond, the Nationals have power in the second half of the order. Desmond leads all National League shortstops in homeruns with 25.

A lot of Morse’s bad August was due to a low BAIBP which can be associated with a lack of power. The less hard the ball comes off the bat, the easier it will be to turn into outs. That seems to have picked up a little bit, helped of course from him doubling his September homerun total. Morse only had two homeruns in his last 22 games so the power was a concern.

With Morse hitting the ball hard, it evens out the order a little bit and takes a lot of pressure off of the top of the order. Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman and Adam LaRoche were probably fine on their own anyways, but having Morse as a power threat obviously helps. In the playoffs, you need as many of your players performing at their top level in order to succeed. As the Nationals try to claim the division crown, it becomes even more important as the team heads to St. Louis to face a Cardinals team that is on its way to a second-straight Wild Card berth setting up, ironically, a one-game showdown with the team they ousted from the playoffs last season in Atlanta.

This offense hasn’t relied on Morse this season, and had all of its players hit hot and cold streaks throughout the season. If one of the key cogs can alleviate any injury concerns heading into the postseason, that is one less problem for the Nationals to worry about, and having a healthy Morse will even affect some offseason decisions the team has to make. For now, though, they will be happy with another power bat.