Red Sox, Rockies Complete Deal For Colorado Reliever Franklin Morales
by Ben Buchanan on May 19, 2011 11:15 PM EDT
in News
Email
PrintThe Red Sox have completed a trade for the Colorado Rockies' left-handed reliever Franklin Morales. Colorado will receive cash compensation or a player to be named later.
Theo Epstein and co. seem to have been quite busy today, but the results are, at least for me, a bit underwhelming. While Morales will fill a role in a bullpen that's been shuffled around quite a bit in recent days due to injuries in the rotation, there's not much reason to expect him to be any good at it. While his 3.82 ERA is better than the 6.28 figure he put up in 2010, it belies a 5.14 BB/9 and 4.86 xFIP.
What Morales does have going for him is potential. Ranked as the eight best prospect in the nation in 2008, Morales has never managed to translate his minor league success to the Majors. I would like this deal if Morales stayed in the minors while the Sox tried to work on his mechanics, like with Andrew Miller, but he's just not a major league talent at the moment.
Hideki Okajima will be designated for assignment to create room on the roster.
19 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Not quite sure how I feel
Okajima was probably one of my least favorite signings of the off-season, but despite his first appearance, he’s actually been fairly solid for us this year in lower leverage situations. Lot of upside in the guy and he only cost us PTBNL or cash, so not a whole lot at all, but we’re losing an actual functioning piece of the bullpen for essential a pitching Hermida.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Agreed
I know Morales is young and throws hard. But his BB-rates are awful.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on May 19, 2011 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I heard
It’s a player or cash considerations.
Morales was out of options and the Rockies didn’t think he’d clear waivers.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
So it is.
Over the Monster -- SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Site
USG
by Ben Buchanan on May 19, 2011 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
hm interesting
it’s hard to see him sticking. I’d have to guess that once people are coming off the DL they try to pass him through waivers and stick him in Pawtucket. Probably sticks around longer than Atchison (he’s still there, right?) and maybe Bowden just because of option years, but after them or following a bad performance, I’m sure he’s next to go. Odd move for a team who already has quite a few bullpen options.
Nothing wrong with this move, low risk-potential high reward trade.
Sox are not giving up much for him, and he surely has the stuff to dominate. Hopefully Curt can fix his control.
But he really cannot be worse than Oki. I’ll take a young, hard throwing lefty over a 30 something soft throwing lefty.
If things do not work out for him here, then its not like they gave up much for him and I trust him as much as Oki, so whats the difference? This kid is still very young and he can be fixed up.
Beginning of the Sarkisian ERA
Good move for several reasons:
1 – He’s a lefty that’s better than Oki.
2 – He’s only 25. That’s quite a bit younger than Oki.
3 – He pitched in Colorado, which doesn’t exactly help pitching stats so maybe he’s a bit better than his numbers indicate. Oki’s numbers indicate his AL East value accurately.
4 – He’s even started in the past, which indicates he must have pretty good stuff and can go multi innings in long relief. Oki definitely can’t.
5 – Looking into the future he’s cheaper than Oki even if we’re on the hook for Oki this year.
6 – He has more future potential and a higher ceiling than Oki.
7 – How did you feel watching Oki warm up tonight during the 9th in case we needed him to come in and pitch the 10th inning? Honestly, you were thinking this would be an L if we didn’t win it in the bottom of the 9th, didn’t you?
Overall good move, Theo.
Honestly
Okajima had only given up 1 ER since his disaster of a first appearance on 4/19. I’d actually been feeling pretty good about him lately. 3 of his 7 appearances have been for multiple innings.
Better than Oki is actually quite debatable. Pitching in Coors has nothing to do with Morales’ numbers, he’s walking guys at an incredible rate, 5.25/9 is his career rate, it was almost 8 last season. He has 0 control. And he never has either, in his minor league career he’s been walking between 4 and 7 guys per nine innings, that’s terrible control. If ball park was a factor, he’s a fly ball pitcher, that won’t help much in Fenway either.
Looking at their stats side by side, I would say that Okajima has a much better shot at being a consistent bullpen option. Morales is a project, he’s never had control in his career and you can’t get by on stuff alone. With that lack of control, I don’t think Morales will be a consistent option in the pen.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
But Wheeler is almost ready to come off the DL
and who you gonna drop? Oki had to be the guy….so Theo found a 40-man replacement
They could have kept Oki and sent Bowden back down and never bothered getting Morales. Not sure I would have hated that scenario. But looking at it, this guy isn’t really a bullpen upgrade, and the bullpen has been pretty stable for us this year, big fan of the ‘if it ain’t broke’ philosophy.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
My question is this:
Do we put him through waivers with Wheeler/Jenks back?
Our bullpen is best as:
Papelbon
Bard
Albers
Jenks
Wheeler
Hill
Aceves
If Morales takes any of these guys’ places, that’s problematic for me.
Over the Monster -- SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Site
USG
by Ben Buchanan on May 20, 2011 3:56 AM EDT up reply actions
well, that would be freaking stupid.
Hill walks nobody and has nasty stuff. I would rank him the 4th most dependable option, with a very good possibility of taking Albers place at third.
He has no options
we’d lose a guy who looks like one of our best relievers, I doubt we do that for Morales
of course that doesn't become an issue until we have Wheeler/Jenks/Lackey back
since Aceves is in the rotation at the moment.
What a dumb move. Four scenarios:
1. He stinks, they demote him, somebody claims him.
2. He stinks, they demote, nobody wants him, he joins Andrew Miller.
3. He stinks, they don’t demote him because they might lose him, he takes somebody more valuables spot.
4. He’s good and stays.
The arguments so far are Oki vs. Morales. That’ s a moot point, Oki shouldn’t be in the bullpen either by June 1. Oki had one big advantage on Morales: Options.
I think would only be a dumb move
if they were giving up something of value for him. As of now, it’s just kind of an “eh” move
I like this move a lot
at one point Franklin Morales was going to be the Rockies closer. He has pretty good stuff and maybe with a new location and coaching he can be put back on the right track.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Over the Monster
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- College player makes impossible over the fence catch to save tournament game (Video)
- Security!: Camden Yards guard collides with Royals’ Mike Moustakas
- The Juice: Nelson Cruz matches career high eight RBIs, Pujols stays hot in Seattle
- Benches clear at Fenway as Red Sox-Rays rivalry heats up
- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
