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2008 Shoulder surgery made 2007 a lost year for Morton, who was lapped by Hundley while he rehabbed. The two are similar players, but Morton has a bit more power. His appearance in the majors-he spent September on the roster and got one at-bat-was more about him being on the 40-man roster than earning the call-up. The Padres like the way he catches, and his power seemed to come back after the surgery, so he adds to the deep stable of Pads backstops. 2007 Morton`s a monster-sized backstop who`s surprisingly decent behind the plate and can throw. If you remember the debate over whether or not Jayson Werth would stick as a catcher because he was so much larger than most--as it turned out, he didn`t--Morton is even larger than Werth. There`s something to be said for the theory that a large human being is ill-suited for the squatting that catching requires; it`s like asking an especially beefy Scotsman to toss the caber 160 times in three hours--then bat and run the bases. Appropriately for someone so Bunyanesque, what he hits goes really far when he connects, but his approach is Kingman-esque; he swings at everything and hopes for the best. He`s not a prospect, but if you like your players improbable and unique, you should root for him.
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