The Yankees announced that they’ve acquired first baseman/designated hitter Kendrys Morales from the Athletics in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster, New York transferred righty Jonathan Loaisiga from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
Morales, 35, was designated for assignment by the Athletics yesterday. Oakland had picked him up early in the season after losing first baseman Matt Olson to a hand injury for more than a month. However, the veteran Morales struggled quite a bit in limited time with the A’s, hitting at a .204/.310/.259 clip and connecting on just one home run. With Olson and fellow first baseman Mark Canha healthy in Oakland alongside designated hitter Khris Davis, there simply wasn’t a place on the Athletics’ roster for the struggling Morales.
That’s not necessarily the case up in the Bronx, however. While Luke Voit has solidified himself as the team’s primary first baseman, the outfield/designated hitter mix is considerably less certain. Morales could see fairly regular time at DH in the short term, leaving the Yankees with a starting outfield of Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks and Clint Frazier, while Cameron Maybin shifts into a reserve role. Although Morales’ 2019 production has been nonexistent, he’s just a year removed from a respectable .249/.331/.438 batting line and is a combined .270/.330/.465 hitter dating back to the 2009 season — when he first established himself as a Major League regular.
Of course, that alignment isn’t anywhere near what the Yankees had envisioned heading into the season, but the team’s jaw-dropping list of injuries has been well documented by now. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Miguel Andujar, Greg Bird, Troy Tulowitzki and Didi Gregorius are all on the injured list, while Aaron Hicks was only just activated from the IL and has yet to make his season debut. To their credit, despite that slate of injuries, the Yankees are hitting .253/.333/.430 (104 wRC+) as a team and rank right in the middle of the pack in terms of total runs scored among MLB clubs.
Please tell me WHY?
I would like to know why too?
because bird blows
i actually dont think the two are related. bird has been on the IL for a while now. i think if it was related to birds level of play they wouldve done something a while ago. it might be that they want to have someone that can give Voit some rest other than DJ?
Galore it’s because in case Andujar has to have surgery, we have a DH
Ain’t nothing but a heartache
Nicely done!
If there was a “post of the day” that would be it.
The car is in the front yard,
and I’m sleeping with my clothes on
LMAO!
Great
I was hoping he was going to play OF for you. When he was in Seattle it was an experience awatching him play out there has to be real bad now. DHing will be bad enough. LOL
Because he isn’t injured yet.
You don’t follow the Yankees if you’re asking why.
Ok – a smart vet player, can hit the long ball and be a good PH & fill in. Hope the short porch helps
He’s hitting .204ish on the season…not my idea of a good PH.
He’s a total crapshoot with not a lot of upside. There’s a reason so many teams passed on him. Good thing is he’s easy to cut if he falters.
I guess you gotta ask yourself if you want Maybin in the lineup every day, then ask yourself if it was worth it to take a chance on Morales for free.
Obligatory CHAMPIONSHIP proclamation.
Yeah, good luck with that. In what year was he last productive? Gotta think long and hard about that.
He hit 21 homeruns and had 1 WAR last year. I’d say that’s decent for league minimum
It’s a league minimum salary for NYY that will probably result in them cutting him within 3 weeks. I don’t think they need to think that long or hard about it, that’s like saying you need to think long and hard before buying a $1 scratcher.
Back scratcher? Back scratcher!
I believe the term you’re looking for is “butt-scratcher.”
He had a 113 OPS+ last year.
..last year
when was it?
I predict by 6/2/2019, Kendrys will be on the IL
ill take the under
It’s possible he’ll be playing in the IL.
Or DFA’d
Dumpster diving Brian
and the Yankees are in first place with players from “The Dumpster”.
I was being sarcastic cause someone always says dumpster diving Theo. But ok
Who needs proper roster construction when you can just get guys who quit on other teams (Hicks comes to mind) for pennies on the dollar and all of a sudden they decide they feel like trying.
Am mostly anti-Yankees, but @GarryHarris grate post!
Grate? Really????
cheesy
What a Muenster!
who doesn’t have an extra roll of quarters?
Is rolling coins still a thing?
It’s not like a lot of teams are selling yet. This is a good zero risk move.
Yep. Can’t compare him to the rest of the mlb.. simply compare his impact to Maybin.
As least he isn’t built out of glass like Greg Bird. Good to have another left handed bat.
Except he’s ankle. Kind of like Achilles.
But he wasnt out forever (I remember that he hurt himself jumping on homeplate, celebrating a gw homer) That injury Greg Bird would still be nursing.
Post in about 12 hours: Kendrys Morales to the 10-day IL.
I bet he will rake now he is with us lol. Nothing to lose with this signing considering he won’t cost anything
Us?
He owns landscaping company.
Hahahaha
Why do people get so offended by this ? You know what fans mean when we say “us” lmao
I think us applies quite nicely. teams wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for their fans so in a sense they kind of are one thing.
Means the end of Greg Bird and probably Miguel Andujar for this season. Otherwise there is absolutely no room on the roster for him. He was effective as recently as last year, might prove to be a good move. Now let’s get some starting pitching!!!
Who do you think? Not keuchel, and it would be for 2 more weeks until Paxton returns…
I wouldnt say that its the end for either of their seasons because they got Kendrys. I mean it might be the end of their seasons but Kendrys isnt going to get in the way of any players return. They can cut him or dfa him tomorrow and no one will really care. When more players come back he’s probably gonna get the boot.
No one counts on Greg Bird and the Yankees think that Andujar’s poor numbers after his brief return were because he need surgery. If I was a betting man I’d bet on him having the surgery.
Loisaiga just got moved to the 60 day IL, so the need for depth is certainly there. Who knows how long Severino will be out and Paxton is only a 20-25 start guy at best.
Possible pickups Keuchel, Bumgarner, or maybe Stroman. None are perfect choices unless Bumgarner pulls a Verlander. I hope they pickup someone capable of really helping and not a long shot that Cashman hopes can help. Who would you like to acquire?
I’m surprised the Rangers didn’t claim him. They love guys who can’t hit or pitch well if they’re a great value!
Rangers maybe losing a lot because of pitching,but as of yesterday we were 1st in runs scored per game, also and in the third inning with lefties pitching on Wednesday nights with runners on 1st and third we were 29 that category.
Hunter Pence turned into Mike Trout but how???
I know its surprising considering they have 3 massive holes in their lineup. Dreading when the hot hitters cool off…..
Can’t understand you guys who rely on those mind boggling metrics!
Well, nobody claimed him. The A’s traded him before his waiver period expired. Teams have a certain amount of time to trade DFA’d players before waiver claims matter.
Oh OK, thanks. My bad…..
Where is Logan Morrison?
maybe extended spring?
I normally like depth signings but does this even count as a depth signing? He had negative value for 2 of the last 3 and was basically worthless the other year. Our internal options are all better than him.
Guess I should clarify that I meant depth trade, not signing.
it was deep. bottom of the barrel deep
You’d rather have Maybin be a regular?
He’s going to have a .950 OPS for the next month at least hitting in that park. He was hitting way better than his numbers. Lots of long outs. Yankees doing well in grabbing short term scrap heap guys who go off for a bit, so weird.
He’s never gonna see the light of day. He gone June1
He will hit or he’s gone. A big lefty bat in the order.
Watch that walk off celebration.
As a life long Yankees fan they just keep leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I have not watch one game this season I refuse!
The guys that they could have had in the free agent market for just cash and now they are digging deep way deep into the dirt. What a cheap joke the Yankee become.
How many more year are you going to watch Brett Gardner bat .100? You gotta be kidding me. No way not in a million years I’ll watch them.
Good, take time away from baseball to focus on your grammar.
This guy is a moron. Their lineup was loaded. No one could’ve predicted 10 injuries.
I guess this guy should look into how awful Machado and Bryce have been.
And I guess signing LaMahieu, who’s absolutely killing it wasn’t enough for this lifelong yankees fan smh
Yeah, 100 wins last year and on pace for 97 this year. You’re right… what a joke!
“Just cash” You yankee fans crack me up
Don’t characterize that comment about “cash” with respect to just Yankee fans…..many if not all the comments on this site, whether its where and for how much a free agent is going to sign, or speculation about ballplayers worth treat the subject of money as an afterthought.
The comment from Louiebeans, is a shout out to the old Yankees under Father George who would spend, spend, spend.
Money in todays context of teams fans mean little to nothing because its not their money!
what do mean? cashman is a genius! LOL.
just think about how that 35 mil on CC Gardy and Happ could have been used to help the team long term.
I will still watch em every day/night b/c i love em. They are overachieving despite the mess.
Cashman could sign a one armed catcher and a few of these guys would justify it. This team ain’t winning no 97 games.
News from the expert!!!
Nobody said Cashman is a genius, but the constant degrading comments about him just aren’t true….every GM including the “genius” in Chi Town can be criticized by the unknowing baseball fan who want instant results and have limitless pocketbooks when no paying themselves.
Never insult Theo by comparing him to Cashman.
Yep. Jason Heyward signing of the century.
Same with Yu Darvish.
And yet Cashman gets no credit for LeMaheiu.
Sorry, just don’t see where they could’ve had more depth to begin the season.
Don’t go down the failed contract road my fiend, because that’s a hill you’ll most definitely die on.
Good signing! Left handed hitter in a lefty heaven! League minimum so if he doesn’t pan out, nothing really lost! 25-35 homers in the DH spot is not out of the question. Good production for $550k in my opinion!
I would rather see Mike Ford get the playing time, hell give Ben Ruta a shot, I don’t like this one bit, I hope I’m proved wrong
Ford looked overmatched
The Yanks have a severe 25 and 40 man roster crunch coming when all these injured players finally start coming back. Cashman needs guys like this that he can feel comfortable cutting down the road. He can’t add guys like Ruta to the 40 man because he won’t be able to take him off later in the season without risking losing him.
Greg Bird is garbage I wouldn’t lose sleep if he never suits up for the Yankees again. I think the short porch and some time in the cage with Thames will do Morales some good. Mike Ford is a long term project who will go back SWB and work on his stuff
This is not a bad signing at all they can spell Voit to give him some days off while using DJ around 2nd & 3rd base. Plus the Yankees are just trying to be proactive in case that Andujar will need shoulder surgery and now with Stanton and his latest injury Kendry gives the Yankees another Switch-Hitter that has pop and you can then take away Gardner’s AB’s and use Maybin in LF until he cools off and put Kendry in the DH role. This is not what the Yankees envisioned but Cashman has done a really great job in picking up scrap heaps and turning them into serviceable ballplayers that have played a role in the Yankees keeping pace in the AL East with the exception of Tulo all the other pick ups Cashman has done has worked out pretty good for him. How many teams can lose the amount of “Starters” on their team to the D.L. and still claim they are top 5 team in baseball? So for now I won’t be surprised if Kendry comes in and starts hitting some important HR’s plus gives the Yankees a chance as well to spell Luke some days off as he has never been a starter and the wear and tear will catch up to him.
I guess the former Jays experiment worked so well with Tulo they want Molassas as well?
Don’t understand this move. Even with all the injuries he cannot field his position and is no longer a league average hitter.
2019 pinstripes on scrubs === Barry Bonds. He’ll obviously follow that trend.
He must be on the 60 day DL
How many teams has Morales made a stopover? He is beginning to remind me of an old AAA legend back in the 50’s and 60’s named Harry “Suitcase” Simpson.
Sometimes a change in venue can invigorate a player. Yogi said baseball is 90% mental. If you’ve ever been to Alameda County Stadium where the A’s play you know it’s a #dump that is falling apart. Couple that with a losing, last place team. Now that he’s in a brand new stadium with the most storied sports franchise in history, the Yankees could catch lightning in a bottle for no risk whatsoever. This guy has a World Series ring from KC 2015. Maybe he only hits on winning teams. Hitting is contagious. There’s plenty of upside for a power switch hitter who is basically working for free by Yankee standards since Toronto is paying his most 83% of his salary..
Now you go out and get a guy who injured himself celebrating a walk off homer?