Kendrys Morales

[Capn Vivi]

Sign me up for >$10m/year. Otherwise I'd rather improve our pitching staff. (Assuming, of course, that it's a choice)

[clapdiddy]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/betemwi01.shtml

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moralke01.shtml

Once again only on this board. Wilson not in the same league as Morales.

Wait, what? Morales' career number is .839 against righties.

Unless for some reason you think it's fair to line Betemit's career line up against Morales' line from 2013 and call that a just comparison.

I'm fine with calling the two players similar, even though Morales has obviously, plainly been better over the course of his career, but let's get the numbers right, eh?

I apologize guys. I must have looked at the wrong column somewhere.

I'd still take Betemit at the cost as a LH DH only, though I don't think he is an option any more.

[luismatos4prez]

Morales Career vs RHP: .839 OPS

Betemit Career vs RHP: .820 OPS

Not a huge difference there. The advantage to Morales is that he plays a decent 1B and he hits lefties decently. The advantage to Betemit is that he's cheap and is willing to DH.

[MrOrange82]

I apologize guys. I must have looked at the wrong column somewhere.

I'd still take Betemit at the cost as a LH DH only, though I don't think he is an option any more.

FWIW, I don't think Morales is even an option. I'd be surprised if he doesn't break that $10 million AAV barrier, if only for a couple of years, and then there's the draft pick. Plus, there's a pretty significant gulf between some anonymous source saying "there's interest" vs. actually having discussions with the guy's representatives about a contract. As always, the O's certainly have "interest" in a lot of people...most of whom they probably never speak with (or at least seriously consider signing).

[srock]

Morales Career vs RHP: .839 OPS

Betemit Career vs RHP: .820 OPS

Not a huge difference there. The advantage to Morales is that he plays a decent 1B and he hits lefties decently. The advantage to Betemit is that he's cheap and is willing to DH.

Pretty big difference is ability to actually play. Betemit is lucky to get 350 PA in any given year.

I think Morales is an everyday DH and probably a bit better defensively as a backup. Albeit 'better' then Betemit defensively isn't saying much.

[Elbren]

True this....

Betemit vs. RHP: .819 OPS

Morales vs. RHP: .780 OPS

In what world are these 2 players comparable?

Betemit has only had 300+ AB's twice since 2004, actually has more strikeout's (612) than hits (558) over his entire career and is terrible with his glove pretty much anywhere you put him. In fact, he had over 100 K's in 2012 despite only have 341 AB's. Same for 2011: 105 K's in 323 AB's. in The only thing keeping Morales' numbers down is the fact that 1) he played his home games last year in Seattle and 2) lost a year and a half because he broke his ankle/leg jumping onto homeplate after a walkoff grand slam.

Betemit is a bench player who, at best, would be someone you would have to platoon with another player because he's terrible against left handers. That pretty .819 OPS against RHP loses some of it's shine when you see that it drops to .636 against LHP. Morales' OPS against LHP is over a full 100 points higher than Betemit's (.737). Obviously not great, but certainly not someone you'd have to platoon.

I'm not advocating going after Morales, (still not sold that he's worth losing a pick) but to compare him to Betemit is a bit disingenuous.

[clapdiddy]

Pretty big difference is ability to actually play. Betemit is lucky to get 350 PA in any given year.

I think Morales is an everyday DH and probably a bit better defensively as a backup. Albeit 'better' then Betemit defensively isn't saying much.

I would agree that Morales would be better than Betemit as a defensive backup. I also believe that a scarecrow would likely provide better defense than Betemit.

[BillySmith]

I don't get the tweet, unless it means we're considering giving up that pick. Either you want the pick or you don't. I don't see how it's a barrier. I mean, we do have to give it up don't we? If we want Morales?

[Elbren]

I don't get the tweet, unless it means we're considering giving up that pick. Either you want the pick or you don't. I don't see how it's a barrier. I mean, we do have to give it up don't we? If we want Morales?

Exactly.

If this info. is true, I think it's (sadly) nothing more than posturing for the fanbase; just to have their name attached to a good/decent player. There's no point of even mentioning his name unless you're 100% ready to give up that pick. There's no way around it. Even if they want him at "their price" because of the draft pick compensation, then it's still not about the pick. It's about the money he'd be willing to negotiate down to.

[PeteU]

First round draft picks are a way more iffy proposition in baseball than they are in football.

Still there's a major risk in giving it away. Don't know if Morales is worth it or not.

[Guest]

First round draft picks are a way more iffy proposition in baseball than they are in football.

Still there's a major risk in giving it away. Don't know if Morales is worth it or not.

If we don't get him it wont be about the pick...

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GWH0BHS0m04" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[theocean]

Morales would solve a lot of issues: bat to put behind Davis, good hitter for DH, backup 1B if necessary, makes the bench that much better. While giving up the pick isn't desirable, that pick is probably what is going to make him cheap enough as far as $$$ for the O's to afford someone of his caliber. He was a monster before he broke his leg and played in Safeco last year. A jump in numbers could be in store with 81 games at Camden Yards.

I remember though, maybe I'm wrong, but at the waiver deadline this year the O's weren't interested in him, but they were interested in Morse? Is there something they didn't like about him, or maybe his cost was too high then?

[VeveJones007]

Morales would solve a lot of issues: bat to put behind Davis, good hitter for DH, backup 1B if necessary, makes the bench that much better. While giving up the pick isn't desirable, that pick is probably what is going to make him cheap enough as far as $$$ for the O's to afford someone of his caliber. He was a monster before he broke his leg and played in Safeco last year. A jump in numbers could be in store with 81 games at Camden Yards.

I remember though, maybe I'm wrong, but at the waiver deadline this year the O's weren't interested in him, but they were interested in Morse? Is there something they didn't like about him, or maybe his cost was too high then?

The cost was too high since the Mariners planned on making Morales a qualifying offer. I still can't believe he passed on $15M guaranteed. He must hate Seattle.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Morales would solve a lot of issues: bat to put behind Davis, good hitter for DH, backup 1B if necessary, makes the bench that much better. While giving up the pick isn't desirable, that pick is probably what is going to make him cheap enough as far as $$$ for the O's to afford someone of his caliber. He was a monster before he broke his leg and played in Safeco last year. A jump in numbers could be in store with 81 games at Camden Yards.

I remember though, maybe I'm wrong, but at the waiver deadline this year the O's weren't interested in him, but they were interested in Morse? Is there something they didn't like about him, or maybe his cost was too high then?

He was better at Safeco last year than he was on the road.

We got Hunter Harvey from a lower draft position last year than the pick in question and he may make some Top 50 prospects lists this year. Mike Trout was drafted around 25th overall in 2009. Shelby Miller was drafted right around our position in this year's draft. I'd rather have that pick than a DH-only player whose production could be easily reproduced with a platoon of scrap heap guys. Morales is a good, not great, hitter and he doesn't do anything else well. Seriously, Xavier Paul or Wilson Betemit and Steve Pearce or Nolan Reimold have a pretty good chance of replicating his production for $10+ million less and without draft pick compensation.

Hell to the nIZo on Kendrys Morales.

[atomic]

I would agree that Morales would be better than Betemit as a defensive backup. I also believe that a scarecrow would likely provide better defense than Betemit.

Betemit played a better third base than Mark Reynolds. I know that is not saying much but he isn't the worst fielder at a position on our team even during a single year.