Mike Morin claimed by Miami as Marlins’ season put on hold

Being designated for assignment is never easy for a baseball player. You’re basically in limbo for awhile, waiting to see if another team will pick you up, if you’ll end up back in the minors, or if you’ll even get another opportunity at pro ball.

It’s especially hard this year, with the unique roster situation and no minor league baseball to fall back on and COVID-19 concerns at the front of everyone’s mind.

Then you have Mike Morin’s situation now, which seems to be almost impossible.

Morin’s only option now if he wants to continue playing Major League Baseball this season (and, honestly, as a fringe reliever, if he wants to continue playing professional baseball beyond this year) is to join the only team with a significant coronavirus outbreak to this point — and one that won’t be allowed to play for at least a week.

Players like Brock Holt talked about how he felt pressured into playing this year despite his wife being pregnant because as a player on a one-year deal, it may be his only chance to keep the attention of the league’s front offices — if you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind, and you definitely don’t want to be out of mind heading into an offseason that may be extremely hard on mid-to-low level free agents.

Now it looks like Morin is faced with a similar choice. The Marlins hold his rights now, but he could still choose to opt out if he feels like that clubhouse is a risky environment he’d rather not join. That’s a move, though, that could carry significant ramifications for his career.

What’s something that’s bigger and worse than being stuck between a rock and a hard place?