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You get used to hearing it. Scott Baker has said it. Carl Pavano. Josh Willingham. Mike Pelfrey. It's only a matter of time until Kurt Suzuki says it. Still, every once in a while the standard athlete-speak that we get used to hearing comes from a corner you don't expect. In this case, it sounds like even Kendrys Morales isn't immune to the charm of sticking with the team.
Talked w/ Scott Boras. Gushed about how much Morales likes it here. Said a long-term marriage is certainly in play. #mntwins
— Darren Wolfson (@DarrenWolfson) July 14, 2014
Why does he want to stay with a team that won't contend this season? It's hard to say for sure, but we can take a few guesses.
- Morales was hard up for a job over the winter and, in spite of or perhaps because of his late start, he doesn't want to risk hitting the open market again.
- It's possible that his performance is playing into it - he's driven in some runs but hasn't been particularly productive otherwise - which is a combination enough to make anyone pledge their love to a team if it means they'll have a better chance at getting paid the next year.
- Morales knows the Twins are likely to be a serious contender in the next year or two, provided a couple of quality Major League additions, and either wants to be a part of the turnaround or feels there is job security in wanting to be one of those quality veteran players.
- He really does straight up want to be a Twin and loves it as much as we've been told he does.
In principle, extending Morales isn't a terrible idea. Historically he's an above average hitter, and the Twins need offense. But the drawbacks rear their heads almost immediately, since Morales' power has been virtually non-existent so far this year. All 11 of Morales' extra-base hits have come away from Target Field. And it's not like the Twins will be starved for players capable of taking at-bats as a designated hitter in 2015: Joe Mauer, Josmil Pinto, Chris Parmelee, Chris Colabello, Oswaldo Arcia, potentially Miguel Sano and Kennys Vargas.
At this point, the only way it makes sense to extend Morales is to sign him to a very team-friendly contract. The Twins would be buying low, especially considering that he's averaged one and a half wins above replacement the last two seasons and has more or less been a black hole this year - again, getting past the runs batted in.
Would you be interested in keeping Kendrys Morales in Minnesota? At what cost?