Jays sign Morales 3 years 33M

[thatoneguy]

Not so hot on this. Gurriel, on the other hand...

[Mittens87]

I wouldn't expect anybody to have any homers at the Rogers so not too worried. Jays pitching too solid. He will do fine against other s*** non Jays pitchers.

[candymartinez]

Don't like it.

[SweetSmellingChacin]

Seriously, I don't mind this deal. Although I hate the 3rd year. He can probably provide 25-30 HRs and an 800 OPS which is fine for a 11M player.

 

But they better have a good plan to make up the difference after downgrading from EE to Morales.

[BlueRocky]

I think the Jays only do this move if they were sure Edwin's camp won't budge with either $ or term (most likely term).

 

Well if they were losing Edwin for sure.. and get back Morales, draft pick, potentially Reddick for the same price I guess it's not so bad.

[ILikeSoccerandBaseball09]

LOVE IT.

 

 

 

We don't lose a pick either.

[Governator]

Seriously, I don't mind this deal. Although I hate the 3rd year. He can probably provide 25-30 HRs and an 800 OPS which is fine for a 11M player.

 

But they better have a good plan to make up the difference after downgrading from EE to Morales.

 

 

Who's playing 1B?

[jays4life19]

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/instagraphs/blue-jays-sign-kendrys-morales-questionably/

[flafson]

I don't see why everyone believe we won't get EE because of it.

[jays4life19]

Probably should merge the two threads.

[ChrisS]

I don't see why everyone believe we won't get EE because of it.

Because the FO probably won't want to invest 40 mill a season on 3 DH/1Bs

[BlueRocky]

2015 wRC+ vs R 144

2015 wRC+ vs L 108

 

2016 wRC+ vs R 93

2016 wRC+ vs L 147

 

Wtf?

[Terminator]

2015 wRC+ vs R 144

2015 wRC+ vs L 108

 

2016 wRC+ vs R 93

2016 wRC+ vs L 147

 

Wtf?

 

Small sample sizes

[jays4life19]

Just delete the other one and change the title of this one. It's turned in to a "Wow!" thread.

 

Other way around, but yeah.

[Jonn]

I don't see why everyone believe we won't get EE because of it.

 

Edwin is gone.

[glory]

2015 wRC+ vs R 144

2015 wRC+ vs L 108

 

2016 wRC+ vs R 93

2016 wRC+ vs L 147

 

Wtf?

 

Sample size. Randomness.

[BTS]

A few thoughts now that I've digested this a bit more:

 

- I think something that probably played a factor here is stability. Not year-to-year, but game -to-game. LF, RF, and 1B are all holes, and at least one is likely to be a platoon. Morales is a switch hitter with no platoon split. He's someone that Gibby is going to pencil in 3rd or 4th every day, regardless of who's on the mound. There's value in that in a lineup that might have a lot of moving parts.

 

- He can hit. A wRC+ between 110 and 136 in 6 of the last 7 years, with the only exception being in 2014 where he waited until midseason to sign and never got going. Projections are probably giving more weight than they should to his 2014. Also, as GD alluded to, he relies on the HR to do damage and Kaufman really wasn't a good park for his skill set. I'm willing to bet that internal projections have him closer to a 120 wRC+ next year than the 109 Steamer has for him.

 

- There has been research done on the 'skill' of being able to DH without seeing your numbers drop, as a lot of players don't like doing it, and perform worse in the role. I wonder if the team buys into this kind of thing and saw value in Morales as a guy who is absolutely fine swinging 4 times a game and sitting out the rest.

 

Overall, I don't love it, but I'm fine with it. I wish it were 2/22, but I think Morales will be a nice addition to the lineup in the short term. He's not Edwin, but he can hit.

[jaysblue]

Depending on what else they do yes absolutely.

 

We've seen Shapiro & Atkins move fast in the offseason so far during their tenure locking up players due to the risk of them losing out on other bigger names and/or paying higher prices. They did the same thing with Happ and Estrada last season to shore up the rotation early. They did the same thing in August when resigning Smoak (which I was totally against). Wouldn't shock me if they try and lock up a corner outfielder over the next couple of days following this move. Seems like this front office is more worried about having security around the roster.

[Terminator]

Overall, I don't love it, but I'm fine with it. I wish it were 2/22, but I think Morales will be a nice addition to the lineup in the short term. He's not Edwin, but he can hit.

 

I think this FO also values the theory that a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. Especially when you've got a lot of holes to fill. You wait around for better options or even the perfect option and sometimes they can all dry up. Last year they struck early by signing Happ.

[THANOS]

Thats fair if you factor in the dollars and the number of years you are probably taking less risk

 

Even if Morales stinks it up for a year, somebody would take him on.

 

Say we sign Edwin and both him, Morales, and Tellez (in AAA) tear it up respectively. After the season, or even at the ASB, you can trade Morales and his great contract while promoting Tellez to take his spot.

 

I see no problem with this.

[Inklink]

Edwin is gone.

 

:(

 

I sure has heck hope Smoak is not the every day 1B. Maybe they'll use some of that difference in the Morales/EE salaries to pay none other than...................JOEY VOTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[jaysblue]

I think this FO also values the theory that a bird in hand is better than two in the bush. Especially when you've got a lot of holes to fill. You wait around for better options or even the perfect option and sometimes they can all dry up. Last year they struck early by signing Happ.

 

They had a lot of holes in the rotation last offseason so they signed Happ and Estrada pretty early in the offseason. They have a lot of holes in the lineup this offseason, so they signed Morales who might not be the best option, though is better than being left empty handed. Wouldn't shock me if we see the Jays sign a corner outfielder in the next couple of days as well.

[Stangstag]

Next step is to sign Pearce/Joyce for the outfield. Or Fowler if we have the money.

[Mkdaman1818]

[Jonn]

:(

 

I sure has heck hope Smoak is not the every day 1B. Maybe they'll use some of that difference in the Morales/EE salaries to pay none other than...................JOEY VOTTTTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

Smoak won't be the everyday First Basemen. We know this much. It looks like Edwin or should I say Edwin's agent is going to get his 4-5 years 100M+ dollar contract. I just hope it isn't the Red Sox. Hopefully the Red Sox sign Beltran instead.

[Spanky99]

Like why not sign Steve Pearce for similar money? He's a better hitter and has way more positional flexibility.

 

Maybe Steve Pearce said... "Eat Dicks Toronto"?

[glory]

Didn't the Jays claim Pearce a few years ago, only for him to choose to go back to Baltimore? As much as I want the Jays to sign him, maybe he wants to stay in 'Merica.

[Spanky99]

Smoak won't be the everyday First Basemen. We know this much. It looks like Edwin or should I say Edwin's agent is going to get his 4-5 years 100M+ dollar contract. I just hope it isn't the Red Sox. Hopefully the Red Sox sign Beltran instead.

 

Eddie's agent said the Sox aren't pushing on him, they're more likely in on Beltran or Holliday as you mentioned.

[Jonn]

Didn't the Jays claim Pearce a few years ago, only for him to choose to go back to Baltimore? As much as I want the Jays to sign him, maybe he wants to stay in 'Merica.

 

No the story was he rejected the claim because the Orioles had an opening after DFAing him and saw an opurtunity that helped launch the player he is now. Someone got hurt can't remember. He said he would have been happy to go to Toronto if the situation with Baltimore didn't work out. It was just a case of bad timing otherwise he would have been a Blue Jay.

[ILikeSoccerandBaseball09]

Didn't the Jays claim Pearce a few years ago, only for him to choose to go back to Baltimore? As much as I want the Jays to sign him, maybe he wants to stay in 'Merica.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/why-steve-pearce-chose-the-baltimore-orioles-over-the-toronto-blue-jays/

 

 

"The opportunity was here," Pearce says of his decision to stay with the Orioles during a brief interview. "Davis went down so there was an opportunity for me to go out there and play for a while. That was probably the main reason. Nothing against Toronto,I definitely would have gone and played there if there wasn’t an opportunity to play here.