Morales, 32, played center field as a prospect growing up in Cuba. But he played little outfield after he arrived in the United States. His frame thickened and a freakish leg injury with the Angels in 2010 sapped him of his speed. He has attempted only two stolen bases since 2010.
Still, Yost wanted Kuntz’s opinion. When he asked Kuntz to hit Morales flyballs, Kuntz asked if Yost had gone mad. Yost insisted he was being serious. A day later, still in Baltimore, Kuntz took a peek.
“Out of the corner of my eye, I see this guy running all over the place,” Kuntz said. “And he caught everything! And I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Wait a minute.’
He added, “It looked so natural, so effortless that I was like ‘OK, I’m calling (shenanigans). Something’s up with this.’ ”
Convinced that Yost was not crazy, Kuntz took the field with Morales these past two afternoons around 2 p.m. The drills are designed to acclimate Morales to outfield play. He has played only nine games in the field this season, all of them at first base. Before his leg injury, Morales appeared in right field in 17 games with the Angels.
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