Kendrys Morales

[Dark Helmet]

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.

I'm not sure giving up a pick for Morales is a good idea. But there is no way any combo of Reimold/Pearce/Betemit/Paul will give the production Morales will. Dont care what the splits are. Reimold will be lucky to even get 150 AB this year. And that's a high estimate imho.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

I'm not sure giving up a pick for Morales is a good idea. But there is no way any combo of Reimold/Pearce/Betemit/Paul will give the production Morales will. Dont care what the splits are. Reimold will be lucky to even get 150 AB this year. And that's a high estimate imho.

It's not a slam-dunk but if Paul puts up an .800ish OPS vs. righties and Pearce puts up an .800 vs. lefties(both scenarios are completely plausible based on their track records- both OPS'd over .800 last year against their respective strong sides), it would be pretty darn close(even factoring in some reverse matchups). Morales only OPS'd to the tune of .785 last year- the dude's just not very good.

[waroriole]

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.

It really doesn't matter if one guy is slightly better than the other against RHP. Price wise it's a joke. Anybody advocating for Morales should be doing it tongue in cheek. He hasn't put up an .800 OPS since suffering a broken leg. Combine that with no defensive value and the cost of a pick, and you'd have to be a complete moron to sign Morales. That's why I expect him to be a Phillie.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

It really doesn't matter if one guy is slightly better than the other against RHP. Price wise it's a joke. Anybody advocating for Morales should be doing it tongue in cheek. He hasn't put up an .800 OPS since suffering a broken leg. Combine that with no defensive value and the cost of a pick, and you'd have to be a complete moron to sign Morales. That's why I expect him to be a Phillie.

I assume Amaro will trade Domonic Brown to make room for him in the OF.

[eddie83]

It really doesn't matter if one guy is slightly better than the other against RHP. Price wise it's a joke. Anybody advocating for Morales should be doing it tongue in cheek. He hasn't put up an .800 OPS since suffering a broken leg. Combine that with no defensive value and the cost of a pick, and you'd have to be a complete moron to sign Morales. That's why I expect him to be a Phillie.

I don't think this is fair. Look at the ballparks he has played in. Put him in Camden Yards and where would those numbers be. His OPS+ has been very solid. He had a higher OPS+ than Adam Jones last year. If you don't think he is worth a draft pick I can understand the reasons why but he is a productive hitter and DH is a position in the AL.

[LA2]

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.

Did you watch Betemit play in the field for the O's? I felt he was worse than Reynolds!

[jamalshw]

I don't think this is fair. Look at the ballparks he has played in. Put him in Camden Yards and where would those numbers be. His OPS+ has been very solid. He had a higher OPS+ than Adam Jones last year. If you don't think he is worth a draft pick I can understand the reasons why but he is a productive hitter and DH is a position in the AL.

I agree with this. The draft pick is concerning to me, but I look at it as a trade. It's basically trading a prospect (someone of the Hunter Harvey ilk). Now, I wouldn't want to do that straight up for Morales, but I would be willing to do it if Morales' was forced to lower his demands to a point where he becomes a bargain. Draft pick for Morales at or above market price? No. Draft pick for Morales below where his typical market price would be? Maybe.

[Redskins Rick]

This would appear to be an overly-harsh assessment of Morales. I'm not a big Morales guy, but there's plenty to like about what Morales could do for this lineup.

I like Morales, but at what price. His bat has to be better than some of the AAAA that might be on the 25 man roster.

But, I worry, I don't think he is worth giving up a first rounder.

[CaptainRedbeard]

We should be able to find somebody who can put up a 115-125 wRC+ against RHP without giving up a pick and spending the money that Morales wants. Morales has the added benefit of being able to hit LHP well enough that you don't have to platoon him, which is nice, but he's still a bad enough hitter against LHP that you don't really want to be starting him when one is on the mound - he's not an asset there.

Given that Lough is capable of playing every day, we are going to have a bench of 2 of Peguero, Reimold, Pearce, Almanzar, a Weeks/De Jesus, and a backup catcher. It's ok to be using one of those righties as a platoon partner at DH and the other for LF- if there's an injury, Lough will see playing time against LHP, which is palatable. The marginal benefit to a DH that can hit LHP at a 95-100 wRC+ is really not all that high.

Another way to think of it is that Morales is about a 1.5 win DH. That's just not worth what Boras' demands inevitably are. That's probably not even worth 10MM a season, over any duration of the contract longer than one year. Factor in the pick, and assume he is going to get 3 years, and the total contract value that he's probably worth is something like 21-24 million. If that could get him, maybe I'd be on board. But it won't.

[wildcard]

The O's can forget Morales signing any thing more than a one year contract with the O's. There is not way he would pass the O's physical for a multi year deal with his injury history.

[section18]

You are probably right. Who can pass an Orioles physical? Good subject for another post.

[weams]

It really doesn't matter if one guy is slightly better than the other against RHP. Price wise it's a joke. Anybody advocating for Morales should be doing it tongue in cheek. He hasn't put up an .800 OPS since suffering a broken leg. That's why I expect him to be a Phillie.

I think he waits until June to play. Poster child for ridiculous qualifying offer and foolish rejection. Both parties were completely loony.

[Roll Tide]

Markakis

Machado

Jones

Davis

Morales

Wieters

Hardy

Lough

Flaherty

That's not suck.

If they get Morales he would bat three imo

[El Gordo]

If they get Morales he would bat three imo

Nah, Buck likes his Lefty/Righty thing. He'd bat 5 behind Jones.

[El Gordo]

I don't think he's worth a first rounder, either, no.

His numbers are similar to Butler's. Would you trade Harvey for Butler? His salary is around 8M I believe. Suppose you could get Morales for less than 8M?