Royals Rumors: Is Kendrys Morales An Option For Kansas City Royals
By Joel Wagler
Royals rumors have the Kansas City Royals considering Kendrys Morales as an option to fill the designated hitter role vacated by Bill Butler. It is being reported that Kansas City is indeed looking at the designated hitter/first baseman as a possible candidate to improve the roster.
Jon Heyman, Baseball Insider for CBSSports.com and MLB Network, reported the Royals interest via Twitter.
indians, royals, rangers taking a look at kendrys morales. mariners, jays among other possibilities.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 30, 2014
After the World Series, the Royals declined the option on Billy Butler, their designated hitter the past several seasons. Butler subsequently signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Oakland Athletics. Combine his departure, and the fact Nori Aoki is a free agent, and the Royals have a couple of gaps to fill on their roster.
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Kendrys Morales is 31 years old, but had a horrible 2014 while playing 98 games for the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners. He hit just .218 with a .612 OPS last season, with just eight home runs and 42 RBI in 401 plate appearances.
He is hardly an improvement over Butler, but he may be significantly cheaper than the $12.5 million the Royals were due to pay Billy Butler.
Prior to last season, Morales was a productive hitter. From 2009 to 2013, he averaged 22 home runs and 75 Runs Batted In, even though he missed over 100 games in 2010 after he broke his ankle in an walk-off home run celebration. He had a .286 Batting average over those fours years, as well.
Kendrys Morales made $7.4 million last season, and might be signed for even less this off-season, and he won’t cost the Royals a draft pick.
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While his switch hitting bat could be an asset, counting on him to recover his former skill set is a dangerous prospect. Teams like the Royals, who might take a chance on him if they can sign him cheap enough, might consider the fact he was signed very late last season, and missed Spring Training as the reason he struggled.
The Royals have to be very sure 2014 was an anomaly, and not a harbinger for things to come for Morales. Is he any more likely to recover his power than the younger Billy Butler? Doesn’t seem likely. Still, there seem to be few free agents bats available in the Royals’ price range.
This may be just another Royals rumor with little likelihood that it will result in Morales signing with Kansas City. We will just have to wait and see.