What is the net swing in runs? I.e. runs saved on defense vs. those we lose by losing Morse. My bet is it's negative.
I don't think you can accurately predict Morse's offence. If he repeats 2011, then it is a big loss. If he's going to be a .791 ops, then losing him, his defense in lf, and his painful slowness on the bases is a net positive for sure. I don't see any way to make a good educated guess on where he'll settle in as a hitter with only one full season at age 30. At least with Laroche, you know at worst he'll be a decent hitter with some pop and gold glove defence.
I definitely think all things considered Laroche and Span is a good bet to be a net positive over Morse Laroche.
Another factor is the addition of Span can allow for some more manufactured runs vs relying so much on power. I think a balanced offence has advantages
Also, it seems that a team that has a great starting rotation benefits more from great defense. It Allows us to keep the starters in the game longer, and get more innings in over a year. Maybe keeps them a bit healthier too by cutting down on the long innings.
