The Oakland Athletics have designated Kendrys Morales for assignment in what was an inevitable move.
Kendrys Morales was not expected to have a long tenure with the Oakland Athletics. Acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays due to an injury to Matt Olson, Morales was a stopgap, someone that could play first, and maybe hit enough to force his way into the lineup when Olson returned.
As expected, Morales did not last much longer after Olson was activated. He was designated for assignment on Monday, with Mark Canha coming back from the Injured List.
A's Manager Bob Melvin announces the team has DFA'ed Kendrys Morales, activated Mark Canha for today.@Athletics | #Athletics | #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/C4eW0e77Z2
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) May 13, 2019
There really was not any room for Morales on the roster. With Olson back at first, Khris Davis entrenched as the designated hitter, and Canha serving as a backup first baseman/outfielder, there was not any room left for the slugging first baseman.
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He also did not exactly force the A’s hand with his production. In 126 plate appearances, Morales posted a .204/.310/.259 batting line, with a total of three extra base hits. He still displayed a solid batting eye, drawing 14 walks with 20 strikeouts, but he was unable to show the type of power he had in Toronto over the previous two seasons.
It is possible that Morales can return to form. He has hit the ball relatively well, with a 29% line drive rate, and a league average 0.82 groundball to fly ball rate. However, the results have not been there, with just one homer and a .239 batting average on balls in play.
While Morales did make 26 appearances at first for the A’s, he will likely be viewed as a DH option for any teams that would be interested. For any contending team looking for a possible power bat, an option at DH, or possibly a fill in at first, Morales could be an enticing buy low candidate.
Kendrys Morales’ time with the Oakland Athletics has come to an end. Yet, he remains a potentially intriguing option for another team.