When Kendrys Morales signed with the Toronto Blue Jays just over a year ago, the circumstances around their relationship were much different. Namely, Justin Smoak had yet to emerge as a breakout player who would command ownership of first base.
Fast forward to the present and the Blue Jays have a logjam of sorts at first base/designated hitter with Morales, Smoak and Steve Pearce.
If the Blue Jays were to move one of those players, Morales would be a logical choice. But with two years and $23 million left on his deal, the 34-year-old with limited defensive capability is a tough player to trade — especially in a market full of free agent hitters that can slot in as DH types.
Assuming the Blue Jays were to eat a portion of his remaining contract, or perhaps take on another semi-large contract in return, here are destinations where Morales could profile as a good fit…
Kansas City Royals
A return to the city where Morales spent two years and captured a World Series could make sense. The Royals figure to lose Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain to free agency, so they’ll need some source of offence; even with that trio, Kansas City was third-last in the AL in runs scored in 2017.
The large contracts the Royals could consider moving include those belonging to outfielder Alex Gordon (two years, $40 million remaining) and starting pitcher Ian Kennedy (three years, $49 million). Gordon posted a .608 OPS last year and will be 34 by opening day, but Kennedy, who’s coming off a bad year, is at least intriguing because of his track record of durability.
Texas Rangers
The Rangers received some of the worst production in the AL from their DH slot in 2017, ranking last in home runs (15) and total bases (206). By comparison, Morales hit 28 home runs and collected 248 total bases by himself. Mike Napoli, who occupied first base and DH for Texas this past season, won’t return after the club declined his option.
The Rangers could decide to roll out a DH by committee, or even use No. 2 prospect Willie Calhoun in that role. An alternative could be the veteran Morales, who’s respected for his ability to read pitcher tendencies and is seen as a strong clubhouse presence.
Oakland Athletics
The A’s are on this list because they’re known for buying talent at a low price, then selling high. Oakland’s an interesting case, with no players owed guaranteed salary beyond the 2018 season. As a result, there aren’t any “bad” contracts the Blue Jays could take on in a Morales deal, so if a trade were to happen, Toronto would likely have to stomach a large chunk of salary.
The A’s recently traded DH Ryon Healy to the Seattle Mariners and appear set at first base with Matt Olson. They want to shift slugger Khris Davis from left field to the DH role, but if that plan changes this off-season, the switch-hitting Morales could provide a needed injection of right-handed power into the Oakland lineup.
Minnesota Twins
The Twins, who surprised everyone by earning a wild-card berth in 2017, are reportedly prioritizing the signing of a top free agent starting pitcher. If the club decides to spend big in that area, but still wants to improve an already good offence, Morales might be an option.
Like the Rangers this past season, DH was a severe sore spot for the Twins, a fact that could spur the team to address the position. Only one player on Minnesota, Brian Dozier (34), hit more home runs than than Morales (28) in 2017.
[relatedlinks]
