Marlins' Beinfest expounds on LoMo's demotion

Marlins' Beinfest expounds on LoMo's demotion

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MIAMI -- Logan Morrison's demotion Saturday night caused an uproar from Marlins fans.

On Sunday, Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest explained the organization's thinking on sending Morrison to Triple-A New Orleans.

"We thought it was in the best interest for Logan to go down and work on things," Beinfest said. "He needs to concentrate on all aspects of being a Major Leaguer and work his way back."

Morrison's agent, Fred Wray, told the Palm Beach Post that he would explore the possibility of filing a grievance with the players' union over the demotion.

"We are going to, with absolute certainty, explore this and contact the union and make sure Logan's rights are protected," Fray told the Post. "It doesn't seem like everything adds up here."

Morrison, who was highly regarded as a hitter in the Minors, was batting just .249 when he was sent down. His offensive struggles were surprising to many, including Beinfest.

"I never thought we'd see Logan hitting in the .240s, ever," Beinfest said. "Obviously, he's a much better hitter than he's shown. I'm not going to pin that on it as a specific, but he needs to work on all aspects of being a Major Leaguer, and then he'll come back here."

There was speculation that some off-the-field issues factored into Morrison's demotion, with the 23-year-old hinting that it was about more than just baseball. Beinfest did not refute those claims.

"We had what we felt were solid, good reasons that we felt would be productive for him to go down," Beinfest said. "He just needs to concentrate on playing baseball and work his way back here."

The Marlins have a lot of confidence in Morrison, and they still believe he will reach the success they envision for him.

"He's going to be a good player for a long time," Beinfest said. "The talent is there and he's going to be a good player for a long time. We just thought it was the right thing to do for him."

Beinfest also spoke about the decision to release veteran Wes Helms. The Marlins brought Jose Lopez up from Triple-A to take Helms' spot on the bench.

"He did a great job for us for a long time, and we just wanted to try to improve the production off the bench," Beinfest said. "Lopez is hitting over .400 in Triple-A, so we thought we'd give him a shot and move Wes along. He's been very productive in a very tough role and very professional. We appreciate everything he's done."

While Helms still hopes to play a year or two, Beinfest could see him becoming a coach or manager in the future.

"He definitely has that kind of mind," Beinfest said. "He understands the game and figures things out. I wouldn't rule anything out, because he's made that way where you could see him coaching or managing some day."

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