Morris Leaves Tigers for Twins

New-look free agent Jack Morris today agreed to a one-year contract with the Minnesota Twins, with player options for two more seasons.

“We feel his presence will be a great plus, not only adding his performance to our staff but also the chance for improvement we see in our other starters,” Twins General Manager Andy MacPhail said.

The Tigers had offered Morris a guaranteed contract of $9.3 million to stay with the club three more years. The Twins’ offer is worth up to $11 million, but is based on incentives, Twins’ spokesman Tom Mee said.

Twins Manager Tom Kelly said Monday that if Morris signed, “He’ll be the No. 1 starter on the team and he’ll have a great influence on the pitching staff. He’s always been a winner and he’s one of the greatest competitors we’ve played against.”

Toronto also had shown interest in the 35-year-old right-hander.

Morris made $2.1 million in 1990, when he was 15-18 with a 4.51 ERA. The pitcher with the most victories (162) in the major leagues during the 1980s, he has spent parts of the last 14 seasons with Detroit.

The Twins’ offer included $7 million in guaranteed money. Morris told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis today that neither the incentives nor the Metrodome would bother him.

“The club wants some assurances about the number of innings and games pitched and that’s never been a problem before,” Morris said. “If I can pitch in a hitter’s park like Tiger Stadium, how much worse can the Metrodome be?”

The four-time All-Star has a career record of 198-150, all with Detroit. But he has had consecutive losing seasons in the past two years since suffering an elbow injury, going 21-32.