Kansas City Royals Potential Trade Targets on Offense

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When looking at possible trade targets for the Kansas City Royals, most of the speculation seems to surround the starting rotation. This makes sense, given that the Royals are currently starting Joe Blanton and Chris Young, both of which were backup options to say the least. In fact, Blanton’s inclusion in the rotation was likely one of those “break glass in case of emergency” situations.

Yet, for the struggles that the Royals may have with their rotation, the offense may be a bit more of a concern, at least at second and right. While Omar Infante has been on a hot streak since passing Jose Altuve for the All-Star Game, he is still statistically the worst second baseman in the American League, and has just surpassed Chase Utley to keep from being the worst in baseball.

Alex Rios, meanwhile, has not given the Royals the boost to their lineup that they had hoped for after his return from the disabled list. Despite being white hot at the plate when he was injured, Rios has struggled in his return. Now, the Royals may find themselves looking at two upgrades in the lineup on their quest for the postseason.

The problem with this is, naturally, finding players that could be available and would fit the Kansas City Royals needs, either at second, right or both. So, let us take a look at a few bats at could be available at the trade deadline that may be an upgrade for the Royals this year, and potentially for seasons to come.

Next: Quite the cost, in prospects or salary

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Carlos Gonzalez

In theory, if a player who had 26 home runs and 21 stolen bases as recently as two years ago, and is still only 29 years old, was to come available, teams would be lining up to bring that player in. However, that does not seem to be the case for Carlos Gonzalez.

When he was healthy, Gonzalez had been one of the better hitters in the game. While he can still provide a power boost, having hit ten home runs thus far in 2015, his .245/.308/.418 batting line is a far cry from what he had been two years ago. Even though his home and road splits are fairly even, Gonzalez is still not the player he had been.

The other stumbling block when it comes to Gonzalez is his salary. He is owed $37 Million over the next two seasons, an amount that would likely cost the Kansas City Royals to lose Alex Gordon via free agency and necessitate several moves in the bullpen. Of course, if the Royals were to try to get the Rockies to pay the majority of his contract, the prospect cost may well be prohibitive.

Two years ago, the idea of Carlos Gonzalez being on the trade block would have been enough to make fans salivate over the possibility of having his bat in the middle of the lineup. Now, even though he would be an upgrade and the Rockies may well want to shed his contract, he just would not be worth the expenditure for the Kansas City Royals.

Next: A very Royals player

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Ender Inciarte

If the Kansas City Royals are looking for a middle of the order bat to man right field, then Ender Inciarte would not be a fit. However, Inciarte’s offensive game, based on contact and speed, may make him a perfect fit in Kansas City.

That is not to say that Inciarte does not have his uses. Offensively, the 24 year old has produced a .287/.316/.371 batting line. Given that he only has two home runs this season, most of his extra base hits would likely be in the form of a double or a triple, as Inciarte has excellent speed. That speed, however, has not translated in the running game this year, as he has stolen only nine bases in 14 attempts.

While some teams may view Inciarte as a fourth outfielder, he appears to have the type of game that would translate well to Kauffman Stadium. All Inciarte would need to do is hit one in the gap, and he would be off to the races. Add in his capability of playing all three outfield positions at a league average or better standard, and he could be a solid fit.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have a bit of a logjam in the outfield, potentially making Ender Inciarte available for trade. Even if he would not be an exciting bat, he could be a nice piece for the Royals to have, potentially solving their needs in right field for the long term.

Next: A potential fit at second

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Brandon Phillips

Even though the Cincinnati Reds have had a recent surge, winning seven of their previous twelve games heading into last night, they are still likely to be sellers. Of course, given that the All-Star Game is in Cincinnati, any moves are likely to be after the festivities, but the Reds have a few pieces that could be interesting. While most of the focus is on either Johnny Cueto or Aroldis Chapman, the Reds are reportedly willing to trade second baseman Brandon Phillips.

Granted, this is not the same Phillips that, two years ago, was a threat to hit twenty home runs while providing a bit of speed. Even though his power has decreased, Phillips has had a resurgence in the running game, stealing eleven bases to go along with five home runs and a solid .287/.321/.382 batting line this year. That is certainly a lot more than the Kansas City Royals have gotten from Omar Infante this year.

The biggest problems with Phillips are his age and his contract. He just turned 34 on the 28th of June, and is owed approximately $33 Million from this point through the 2017 season. While that may not seem like much per year, it is somewhat prohibitive given that the Royals will need to find a way to keep Alex Gordon after this year.

Meanwhile, any trade involving Phillips would likely necessitate a trade of Infante. The problem is, how many teams would lineup to take on a second baseman who not only has struggled this season, but has two more years on his contract and will need offseason elbow surgery? Unless the Royals can pair Infante with a solid prospect for Phillips, bringing the Reds second baseman along may just be a pipe dream.

Brandon Phillips would seemingly be the upgrade the Kansas City Royals need at second. The problem is, a trade between the teams may not work.

Next: Utility man or second baseman

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Ben Zobrist

We have already taken an in depth look at the possibility of the Kansas City Royals trading for Ben Zobrist a couple of weeks back. Yet, the fact remains that the Oakland second baseman/right fielder is probably the best fit that will possibly be on the trading block.

Zobrist has shaken off his early season struggles, and currently has a .250/.341/.438 batting line on the season, with five home runs and a 23 to 16 walk to strikeout rate. This batting line, which may not seem overly impressive at first, has been bolstered by a torrid .353/.460/.667 batting line since June 14th. During that span, Zobrist has hit three of his five home runs, and nine of his 19 extra base hits, for the year.

While this hot stretch is a positive for the Oakland A’s and the return they will get for Zobrist, it may simply add more teams into the mix for the super utility player. Even though he was likely to have quite a few suitors anyway, the Royals may find themselves needing to give up quite a bit in order to get Zobrist as a two or three month rental.

Of all the players that may be on the trading block, Ben Zobrist would seemingly make the most sense for the Kansas City Royals. Unfortunately, this recent hot streak may push up Billy Beane‘s asking price beyond what the Royals would be comfortable parting with.

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