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Somewhere, amongst a barrage of Max Scherzer W-L arguments and calls for Yasiel Puig to be benched, comes today's news from Morosi:
Kendrys Morales has been claimed on trade waivers, source says. If a trade is coming, it will happen this week. @FOXSports1
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) August 26, 2013
The news breaks the same day that Dave over at USSMariner wrote a customarily thorough examination of why Morales may not be worth the ~$14 million it would take to sign him to a qualifying offer. It's a good, reasoned analysis and of course you should all (and probably have) read it.
Dave's article and Morosi's tweet coincide to put Kendrys Morales' future with the 2014 Mariners into a less certain and less desirable light than it had been previously. I think around June, when Morales' home runs and doubles fell like rain onto our offense-parched heads most figured the fit between player and team was sufficient that his continued presence was considered, while not certain, likely. For one I was pleased to simply have a DH who didn't hit like Carl Everett. Or Jack Cust. Or Miguel Olivo.
The likelihood of the Mariners working out a trade obviously depends on A) what the claiming team offers and B) how integral Zduriencik and co. view him going beyond this year. It's almost certainly a long shot that he ends up not finishing the season with the team. As Divish notes the Mariners themselves have been on the claiming side of these things and consummation is rare:
On the subject of waivers claims, nothing is set in stone. Mariners put a claim on Choo last season and nothing came of it
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) August 26, 2013
Keep in mind that if the Mariners did trade Morales they would be dealing him while he is in the middle of a slump (.516 OPS last 14 days) and the acquiring team only gets him for 1+ months. This is a one-night Redbox situation and you don't pay very much for one night of a movie at Redbox.
Which is why it's unlikely. It could still happen. If it does you should come back here and read what I have to say about that. It'll be far more forceful and opinionated because something will have actually occurred which is a lot easier to get all angsty and opinionated about. "Mariners don the Royal cloak" or something like that. It'll be fun.
