Major League Baseball‘s free agency period has gotten off to a quick start, and now one of the bigger bats on the market has found his new team. Former Kansas City Royals first baseman and designated hitter Kendrys Morales has agreed to a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Christopher Meola.
@JimBowden_ESPN @MLBONFOX Done Deal: Blue Jays Sign Kendry Morales for 3yrs 33 million
— Chris Meola (@ChrisMeolaTalk) November 11, 2016
This deal brings the power hitting lefty bat north of the border; contract considered, this is a great deal for the Blue Jays.
Morales is a career .273 hitter that has topped the 20-home run mark five times. After debuting with the Los Angeles Angels in 2006, it took him only three seasons to become a key cog in the middle of the order. Morales went deep 90 times from 2009-2013 before experiencing a dismal 2014 with the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners.
Last season, Morales hit .263, with 30 home runs, and he drove in 93 runs. In what is a very weak free agent class, many players are bound to be overpaid, so Morales at $11 million per year is a steal. He also represents insurance in the scenario that Toronto loses some big bats of its own.
Currently, first baseman Edwin Encarnacion and outfielder Jose Bautista are on the free agent market. While it’s likely that the Blue Jays will be able to re-sign one of the two power bats, Morales provides a fallback option for one of the two, or even both in the scenario that they both take their talents elsewhere. However, if they both re-sign, he will serve as the team’s designated hitter and beef up an already beefy lineup. All things considered, Morales’s three-year deal looks like a steal for the Blue Jays.
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