Morales is looking to quiet naysayers
Blue Jays DH arrives in camp in better shape, determined to put up big numbers
Many Toronto Blue Jays are considered fan favourites. It’s a pretty big list.
Kendrys Morales is not on that list.
Not because he isn’t a good guy. It’s just that the Jays signed the big switch-hitter last year essentially to replace the hugely popular Edwin Encarnacion. Morales never lived up to Encarnacion’s long shadow in Toronto, though he did have a decent year statistically, hitting .250 with 28 home runs, 85 RBI and a .753 OPS in 150 games.
But the Jays went into the tank early and part of the frustration of that failure was directed toward the club’s new DH, who couldn’t match Encarnacion’s numbers and worse, clogged up the base paths with his lack of speed.
Manager John Gibbons isn’t buying into the line of thinking the signing of Morales was a bad move, or that the native of Fomento, Cuba, had a poor season and was a detriment to the Jays.
“I liked the acquisition. I was pushing for it,” Gibbons said. “When you replace a player who has been great for an organization for a number of years (Encarnacion), you almost can’t win and it doesn’t matter how much you do. But my experience sometimes with guys you acquire either through a trade or free agency, it’s usually that second year when everything seems to come together.”
Morales understands his first season with the Jays wasn’t monumental and the fans might have expected more. But he’s taken steps to try to improve, starting with a much tougher off-season conditioning regimen.
“One thing I did differently was start my training earlier and I’m about 12 pounds lighter,” Morales said Friday through club interpreter Josue Peley. “I wanted to work on that. I trained a little bit more this year in order to become prepared.”
At 34, Morales has a lifetime .270 average with a .790 OPS. He’s also hit 190 home runs in his 11 seasons.