Blue Jays Making A Push For Kendrys Morales

Blue Jays news keep on rolling in today, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tells us that Toronto is making a push for designated hitter Kendrys Morales. The 33 year old is a switch hitter, and posted a .263/.327/.468 slash line last season. Rosenthal also mentions that the impact this would have on Toronto's free agents is unclear.

Morales greatly struggled in April and May, before ramping up his production from June onwards. He ended his season with 30 home runs, and would be a cheaper source of power than both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. He was much better in 2015, when he posted a ..290/.362/.485 slash line in 158 games.

I mentioned Morales as a player to avoid when suggesting potential offseason targets. MLB Trade Rumors actually predicted that he would sign with the Blue Jays on a 2 year, $26 million deal, but noted that a 3-year deal would be hard to come by.

There are a few major knocks on Morales, most notably the fact that he is limited to DH duty. He is a very slow baserunner, and his on-base percentage was not overly impressive in 2016. His market seems limited to American League teams, and he will not be tied to the loss of a draft pick. He recently declined an $11 club option, opting for a $1.5 million buyout.

Update: