Kendry Morales

The Angels need to find a place for Kendry Morales in their lineup. The Cuban defector has proven all he can in the minor leagues and the time has come for Morales to become a full time Major League player.

At age 18 Morales was a star for the Havana Industriales. In Cuba he played he all over the field, first and third base, right field, and even pitcher. After being suspended from the Cuban national team in 2003 after Cuban officials suspected he was trying defect. After several unsuccessful attempts, Morales finally defected on June 8, 2004. In 2005 Morales signed a six year contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and began his journey to the Major Leagues.

For the past three seasons Morales has spent the majority of his time playing for the Salt Lake Bees. After watching Morales play during the past three seasons it is my view he is ready to hit in the Major Leagues. He is a switch hitter with a short, compact swing, and excellent bat speed. He drives the ball to all fields and has what scouts like to call "doubles power." His current line of .315/.354/.497 along with 8 homeruns and 37 RBIs is evidence that he is on top of this game at the pate. Defensively he is an average player. Primarily a first baseman, Morales has also played third base and the outfield.

Unfortunately for Morales the Angels do not have a position for him to play. Casey Kotchman has established himself as the Angels long term first baseman and Morales is not good enough defensively to play third base or the outfield in the Major Leagues. But as the Angels continue to struggle to score runs, a solution has to be found to use Morales' hitting talents in the Angels lineup.