The Kansas City Royals have signed free agent Kendrys Morales to a two year deal. Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish first reported that a deal was close.
It has since been confirmed by Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:
After seeing Billy Butler sign with the Oakland Athletics, the Royals were looking for a replacement at designated hitter, and may have found their man in Morales. Last season the veteran hit .218/.274/.338 with eight home runs and 42 RBI’s over 98 games with the Mariners and Twins. Despite the low production, the Scott Boras client was aiming high on the free agent market.
Three days ago, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN reported that Boras was seeking multiple years and substantial dollars for Morales. According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the two year deal will be worth $17 million, and performance bonuses could take it up to $18 million.
Since Jon Lester signed with the Cubs yesterday, the domino’s have started to fall, and this is the latest.
didn’t “trade” Butler to Oakland