Sign Kendrys Morales

[stringer bell]

I listened to ninety-something year old Sid Hartman saying that the Twins should have signed Nelson Cruz as a free agent today. I thought since free agency started that if the Twins wanted a bat-first free agent, they should sign Kendrys Morales. Morales had a 123 OPS+ in a pitcher-friendly park last year. His lifetime OPS+ is 120 and he is a switch-hitter with no discernable platoon splits. He will turn 31 in the middle of the season. Morales would be an everyday DH who could start at first when Mauer gets a day off.

 

I wonder is Morales is amenable to a one-year deal or perhaps one year plus an option. He would cost that precious second round choice. With Cruz signing for a low number, I can't see Morales getting much more.

[johnnydakota]

If you were going to sign one or the other , Me thinks you sir are correct ,Morales over Cruz.

and if you sign Morales , Might as well make a clean sweep and sign Drew and Santana as well

[Jdosen]

Morales is valuable if used correctly (read: lots of DH and very little in the field). Cruz is just not a very good player. I was extremely pleased to see he signed with Baltimore because that means the Twins can no longer get hung up on all his #ribbies. I wouldn't hate a Morales signing, although it would protrude them from using Pinto in the DH spot very often. I would rather sign Stephen Drew as I would imagine his price has dropped considerably.

[beckmt]

Morales would just be playing where Willingham should be playing (DH). By mid year if Willingham is still here, he probably will be playing DH most of the time. The only reason not to would be that all of outfield options would have failed and then we would still need a DH.

[Butterfingers8]

They should only sign Morales if they plan to trade him at the deadline for a prospect worth more than a second round pick. Otherwise it makes no sense to sign a 31 year old on a team that is about to become very young and very good with the prospects they have coming. IMHO

[oldguy10]

Yes the Twins are about to become very young but isn't it a HUGE assumption that they are also going to become very good as well? I sure think that is the case although I am optimistic that the youngsters will all be very good and we know that this will assuredly not happen to the degree that we all will desire.

[Butterfingers8]

Even so, what sense does it make to sign Morales when you have Mauer at 1b, an array of young, talented OFs coming up, plus Sano. All of this means there will be a log jam at DH, no room for him in the future plans if you don't decide to trade him right away.

[kab21]

A log jam implies that there are good players currently at the position. We are heading into the season with something like Willingham/Arcia/Presley/Parmelee (or Kubel) as the starting OF/DH. And that grouping sucks. At some point some young players will get promoted but there isn't much arriving this year other than some possible September promotions.

[Rosterman]

Morales would be a one-year stopgap and would mean a Kubel or a Parmelee are truly expendable. I would rather have Morales with Kubel on the bench than Kubel with Parmelee on the bench,

[jokin]

Even so, what sense does it make to sign Morales when you have Mauer at 1b, an array of young, talented OFs coming up, plus Sano. All of this means there will be a log jam at DH, no room for him in the future plans if you don't decide to trade him right away.

 

Morales would be a one-year stopgap and would mean a Kubel or a Parmelee are truly expendable. I would rather have Morales with Kubel on the bench than Kubel with Parmelee on the bench,

 

 

 

 

Any current log jam is only of the Twins making, and can just as easily be swept away. Willingham is likely gone, either by the deadline or at the end of the season, Parmelee and Colabello likely never will find success as a Twin, Kubel is a crapshoot, if he works out, he can take an OF spot until a verdict is reached on on when and where the future roles of Hicks, Rosario and Buxton are fulfilled.

 

Morales is still only 30, and seemingly still has many productive years ahead of him- he could be another veteran presence along with Mauer as the next wave comes up, but providing the Latin/Spanish-first verson of that presence in the process. As the OP states, and can't be overestimated, he offers switch-hitting flexibility and fits in perfectly to fill in for Mauer for 10-25 games per year at 1B. One year, with a mutual option and an opt-out for Morales (which could help the Twins to possibly recoup the lost draft pick) could serve this team well, both short-term and long-term.

[nicksaviking]

Morales would be a one-year stopgap and would mean a Kubel or a Parmelee are truly expendable. I would rather have Morales with Kubel on the bench than Kubel with Parmelee on the bench,

 

However he'd be an expensive stopgap costing a draft pick. I think Willingham ends up playing more DH than anyone. In what looks like another losing season, I don't know that I'd give up the 2nd rounder for one year of Morales instead of the Willingham/Kubel combo.

 

Morales looks destined for a one year deal. If the Twins still need a DH in 2015, then I'd look to him once the current crop of slow-footed, corner-type vets and busts are gone.

[PseudoSABR]

I think it only makes sense to sign the Comp guys if you do as the Os did and sign multiple players to lessen the impact of the lost draft picks. That said, it seems far too bold to see the Twins signing any combination of Drew, Morales, or Santana.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I don't see a position player taking a one year contract so they can play in Target Field 81 times.

[Otto von Ballpark]

The market could be soft for Morales, as the 1/8 Cruz contract suggests. I don't like the idea of sacrificing a draft pick for a one-year contract, though, and the player probably has no interest in signing for multiple years at such a low AAV.

 

Drew for multiple years still interests me, but otherwise, Ervin Santana might be the best target for this bargain-shopping right now -- he would cost more, but I could see him being worth a QO again next season, which could net us a draft pick or another season of a decent value pitcher at ~1/15.

[oldguy10]

The entire tenor of this thread indicates to me that whatever the Twins do in acquiring still more players for this season is that it will be simply bargain shopping. Aren't we all just a little bit tired of that approach?

[nicksaviking]

The entire tenor of this thread indicates to me that whatever the Twins do in acquiring still more players for this season is that it will be simply bargain shopping. Aren't we all just a little bit tired of that approach?

 

The problem in past years was that the Twins ONLY went bargain shopping in free agency. They've already topped all expecatations as far as I'm concerned.

 

At this point, I'd be more than happy if the Twins grabbed a wild card or two. Johan Santana, Joel Hanrahan or Oliver Perez would interest me. I've never been a Joe Saunders fan, but getting him on a minor league deal would be a steal.

[DaveW]

The entire tenor of this thread indicates to me that whatever the Twins do in acquiring still more players for this season is that it will be simply bargain shopping. Aren't we all just a little bit tired of that approach?

Um, how so? They went out and signed two legit guys early (the opposite of bargain shopping) in Hughes and Nolasco. The Pelfrey signing was hardly bargain shopping IMHO as well.

 

Their are still plenty of quality FA avail: Drew, Morales, Santana. I don't mind the Twins waiting for the price to come down. It's actually a very smart way to go about things at this point. Drew, Morales, Santana need contracts a lot more than the Twins currently need them (considering the Twins aren't going to contend this year anyways)

[mlbfan]

Morales is still relatively young. Sign him for three years @ 30-35 million. He will be our full time DH. Our 2014 outfield will consist of Willingham, Hicks, and Arcia. Next year (or the year after) Buxton will be up but by then Willingham will be traded or gone as a free agent. The Twins have the money, spend it to improve.

 

For those of you who say "what about Parmilee, Kubel or _______," remember that Morales is a proven hitter and fills a big hole in our weak line up right now and in the future.

 

A bird in hand is better than two in the bush leagues.