Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
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.