MARINERS LAND SLUGGER MORALES
The Seattle Mariners acquired first baseman Kendrys Morales from the Los Angeles Angels for pitcher Jason Vargas.
What does it give the Seattle Mariners
The Mariners tried to lure {P Josh Hamilton} to come to Seattle as a free agent, but he chose to go to the Angels. They have also been very active in their attempt to bolster their weak offense throughout the off-season, so adding Morales here is somewhat of a victory for the M's. He's not the major impact bat Seattle desperately needs, but he's definitely a step in the right direction.
What does it give the Los Angeles Angels
In Vargas, the Angels get a solid left-hander to round out their reshuffled rotation. He's not dominant but usually gets the job done. The Halos are quite familiar with Vargas, since he's been pitching in the division for a while. After landing Hamilton, the Angels could afford to part with a power bat in exchange for pitching, so that's what they did here. {P Mark Trumbo} is now expected to DH.
Fantasy impact
Morales may have a little more difficulty hitting home runs at Safeco Field, but he'll be a far bigger piece to the Mariners offense than he was in Los Angeles. Therefore, Morales has seen his fantasy stock improve a little here. As for Vargas, pitching away from Safeco Field will hurt him. That said, he'll win more and get much better run support with the Angels. Call it a wash.
