Triple Play Podcast: Kendrys Morales, Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox

The MLB Winter Meetings were filled with all sorts of insanity, so this week’s Triple Play Podcast is packed full of analysis on just about every significant move made around the league. We started things off in the National League, with the Reds trading Mat Latos to Miami, before touching on the 326 roster moves made by the Dodgers. They sent Matt Kemp to San Diego along with a large pile of cash, Dee Gordon to Miami, and a top prospect across town to bring in Howie Kendrick to play second base. Oh, and they signed Brandon McCarthy and traded for Jimmy Rollins. Other than that, things were pretty slow in Hollywood.

We also discussed the Cubs and their flurry of activity, including signing Jon Lester to a huge contract, trading for Miguel Montero, and signing Jason Hammel to what looks like the most reasonable free agent contract out there.

From there, we jumped to the AL, where the Red Sox effectively acquired an entire new starting rotation. They traded Yoenis Cespedes to the Tigers for Rick Porcello, and sent a couple young arms to Arizona for Wade Miley. Boston also gave Justin Masterson a $9.5 million deal for some reason. This is what happens when Clay Buchholz enters the offseason as your number one starter.

There were also a ton of moves made in the Central, which you probably realize has some effect on the Royals. We talked about the Jeff Samardzija trade, as well as the free agent deals handed out to David Robertson and Melky Cabrera, and what they mean for the White Sox next year. As for the defending division champs, they brought in Cespedes and replaced Porcello with Alfredo Simon from the Reds.

Finally we had a chance to discuss the Royals’ moves from last week. Jandel Gustave could bring some more fire to the Royals’ bullpen, even if it might be tough to keep him on the roster. The big move, though, was the one that brought Kendrys Morales to Kansas City. We all had some mixed opinions of the deal, and what kind of impact he can have on the lineup.

Feel free to listen to the podcast with the player above, or at this link. To get in contact with the show, send us an email at KCTriplePlay@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Twitter here:

Aaron Reese
Matt Vernon
Hunter Samuels

Thanks for listening!