Once the MLB Draft kicked off and Kendrys Morales was no longer attached to draft-pick compensation, the slugger’s signing was a matter of when/where and not if.
Now we know the when (Saturday afternoon) and the where (Minnesota Twins). It’s a bit of a surprising development, as most expected Morales to wind up with the Rangers, who needed help after Prince Fielder’s season-ending surgery, or a team like the Yankees or Brewers.
But the Twins swooped in, as was first reported by CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, and took Morales off the market. Signing Morales before the draft would have required teams to forfeit their top draft pick because Morales turned down a qualifying offer from his former team, the Mariners. Once the draft happened, though, that went away and Morales would only cost money, not a draft pick.
Kendrys Morales will make less than Stephen Drew but "in the ballpark," says a source. Still needs to take physical. #twins
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) June 7, 2014 NYY to consider other options, like a mannequin with Tino Martinez's face drawn on RT @JonHeymanCBS Kendrys Morales agreement with Twins
— Emma Span (@emmaspan) June 7, 2014The Twins can use the power influx. They only have two players with more than five home runs and they’re 21st in the majors with 48 home runs entering play Saturday. Morales hit 23 home runs for the Mariners last year, playing roughly half of his games in spacious Safeco Field. With Joe Mauer at first base now, Morales will DH for the Twins.
They're tied for last place in the AL Central, but just a game-and-a-half behind the second-place White Sox and five games behind the division-leading Tigers.