With the injuries to two of their hardest hitters, Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira, the New York Yankees could find relief on the free agent market. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the Yankees have “reached out” to unsigned free agent Kendrys Morales to fill two holes — first base and designated hitter. Heyman also says that the Yankees “need to secure him” because of the reoccurring wrist inflammation that continues to plague Texieira.
Morales last played for the Seattle Mariners in 2013. He rejected the team’s qualifying offer of $14.1 million this past offseason, meaning that any team signing him would have forfeited a first- or second-round draft pick, depending on that team’s draft order, to the Mariners as compensation. That draft pick giveaway vanishes, though, after the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, which occurs on June 5. That means that Morales (and any other unsigned free agent) is free for any team to negotiate with and sign without losing a thing. Stephen Drew is now off the board after signing with the Boston Red Sox, so Morales is now the #1 free agent available.
Signing Morales would greatly benefit the Yankees. They need an extra bat, and Morales can DH. He would give the Yankees extra pop when Teixeira and Beltran can both play, which has not occurred often so far this year. He can play first base, allowing Teixeira to rest or DH when needed. He also has a small amount of experience in right field, which would allow Beltran an occasional day off or DH day.
Teixeira received a cortisone shot in his wrist on Saturday and is currently listed as day-to-day. If he has any further problems, then another DL stint is possible. Kelly Johnson can play first base, but once the draft passes, then the Yankees will need Morales’s bat at that position and keep Johnson’s versatility available for other roles. Beltran is scheduled to come off the disabled list on June 6, the day after the draft.
What makes Morales valuable? For the past two seasons, he has hit .273, 22 HR, 73 RBI with the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 and .277, 23 HR, 80 RBI with Seattle last year. He switch hits as do both Teixeira and Beltran. He is 30 years old, so he is younger than the two other players, and he is healthy at this time. His last significant injury occurred four years ago when he fractured a tibia after celebrating a walk-off grand slam on May 30, 2010. He missed the rest of 2010 and all of 2011, but he averaged 145 games for the past two seasons.
This signing makes perfect sense for the Yankees. They will draft their prospects, but once that draft ends, they need to sign Kendrys Morales. He could become the difference between the Yankees’ making the 2014 postseason or watching it on television this October.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ken Rosenthal article, msn.foxsports.com
