Mar 15, 2019; Clearwater, FL, USA; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Kendrys Morales (8) singles to right field during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Spectrum Field. Photo Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
The Oakland Athletics acquired infielder Kendrys Morales and cash from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league infielder Jesus Lopez and international-slot money.
Right-handed pitcher Jharel Cotton was put on the Athletics’ 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster.
Morales, 35, hit .249 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs in 130 games for the Blue Jays last year. He had a seven-game home run streak from Aug. 19-26 — hitting eight in that span — and was one game shy of the record, which has been accomplished three times.
The Cuban is a career .268 hitter over 12 seasons in the big leagues, with 211 home runs and 728 RBIs in 1,310 games including stints with Los Angeles Angels, Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals.
Cotton missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on March 21, 2018. The 27-year-old started 24 games in 2017, going 9-10 with a 5.58 ERA over 129 innings.
Lopez, 22, had been with the A’s as a non-drafted free agent since signing in 2013. He has never played above the low Class-A level. The native of Nicaragua has hit .221 with 15 home runs and 111 RBIs in 333 minor league games. He spent all of 2018 with low Class-A Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League, hitting .239 with 10 home runs in 84 games.
