Had the chance to interview Mike Morse this morning on the telephone from Peoria, where he’s playing in the Arizona Fall League, and that story can be found here.

When the Mariners get around to putting their team together next year, they could do worse than put Morse at first base.

In fact, they have done worse – any number of times.

Cycling through veterans like Richie Sexson, Jose Vidro and Miguel Cairo led them to a disastrous ’08 season and to a non-productive stint from the left-handed hitting Bryan LaHair.

Morse is an intriguing possibility, a big, strong athletic player who, at 26, is out of options and can’t be sent to the minors again. That fact alone may get him a long look in spring – that and the fact that after missing most of the year with an injury, he’s now healthy again.

Morse and Jeremy Reed are the remnants from the 2004 trade of Freddie Garcia, and Morse has a career average of .302 in the big leagues – rarely playing regularly over parts of three seasons.

Last spring, he won a job with his bat, and the team made Morse, a lifetime infielder, an outfielder. That failed miserably and ended when he dove for a ball in April and badly separated his shoulder.

Now, he’s healthy again and playing in the AFL, with plans to go to Venezuela for winter ball in a few weeks.

He has overcome much – from steroid use early in his career to heal an injury to years of never quite sticking with the big club – and remains one of those players whose love of the game is obvious.

It’s impossible to know Morse and not hope he gets the chance to play.