José Morales

[William Malone]

José Guillermo Morales was born on February 20, 1983 in Puerto Rico.

He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in round three of the 2001 MLB Draft, two rounds after they selected Joe Mauer with the first overall pick. Morales was viewed as one of the best offensive shortstops in that draft class, but fell due to concerns about his speed and range on the defensive side. He hit .309 in rookie ball during the 2002 season, but wound up splitting time at second and third base. Still struggling defensively, the Twins began working with him as a catcher in 2003. Injuries limited him to just seven minor league games in 2005, and he had a rough 2006 campaign at the plate while working his way back.

Morales had a breakout minor league season in 2007, batting .311 in 108 games at the Triple-A level. He was called up to be the Twins third catcher behind Mauer and Mike Redmond as a September call-up after the minor league season ended. His big league debut was one for the ages, going 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored against the Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, he suffered a sprained ankle late in the game. This landed him on the disabled list, and ended his season after just one big league outing.

He hit .315 for the Red Wings in 2008, but was limited to just 54 games due to more ankle issues. Mauer began 2009 on the disabled list, allowing Morales to start that season on the Twins big league roster. He hit .349 in April, initially causing the Twins to keep him around when Mauer was healthy again in May. Carrying three catchers became a burden at times, and Minnesota wound up shuffling Morales up and down several times throughout the year. Justin Morneau suffered a season ending back injury in mid-September. This moved Michael Cuddyer from right field to first base, Jason Kubel from designated hitter to right field, and slid Morales into regular DH duties down the stretch. He started ten of the Twins final 17 games, including "Game 163" against the Detroit Tigers. For the season, Morales hit .311 in 54 games at the Major League level. He was 0-for-3 during the ALDS against the New York Yankees.

His strong 2009 season played a factor in Minnesota not re-signing longtime backup catcher Mike Redmond, who signed with the Cleveland Indians in free agency. Morales injured his wrist in spring training, opening the door for Drew Butera to backup reigning MVP Joe Mauer. He returned to Major League action in late July, but was sent back down to Triple-A after going hitless in his first five games. He returned as a September call-up, but continued to struggle. Morales finished 2010 with a .194 average across 19 games with the Twins.

Minnesota traded Morales to the Colorado Rockies for pitching prospect Paul Bargas, who was diagnosed with brain cancer just a few months later. Bargas passed away in 2012 at the age of 23.

Morales played in 22 games for the Rockies in 2011, but the injury bug got him once again. A foul ball broke his thumb while catching, shutting him down for the year. Colorado non-tendered Morales after the season, and he never reached the Major League level again. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed him to a minor league deal in 2012, and then he spent three seasons playing for various teams in the Atlantic League.

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