KC Royals: Top Trade Targets To Replace Alex Gordon

Jul 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder

(18) high fives teammates after scoring a run against the Colorado Rockies during the seventh inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Zobrist is, hands down, the best candidate to help out the Kansas City Royals while Alex Gordon (hopefully) recovers for the September playoff push. The 34-year-old Zobrist is a super utility player that has historically been a plus defender at pretty much every position on the diamond besides catcher.

The switch-hitting Ben Zobrist is slashing .255/.344/.431 after a horrible start to the season. But, he has swung a potent bat in the last month while hitting .310/.404/.529.

Betsided

What makes Zobrist so appealing for the KC Royals is that he can fill in for Gordon over the next two months, and then move to second base in case Omar Infante continues to wallow at the plate. Even better, Zobrist is a patient hitter. In short, he provides the ability to work pitchers that the Kansas City Royals will need without Alex Gordon in the lineup.

The problem is that A’s general manager Billy Beane isn’t yet ready to sell. The A’s are 25-18 since May 23 before play on July 9, and are 8.5 games behind the second wild card spot in the American League.

Add in that even if Beane decides to move Zobrist, the KC Royals will have a horde of competitors. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has even said he is willing to overpay to get Zobrist, according to Newsday’s Joel Sherman.

The Mets aren’t the only other interested party. The Yankees, Angels, and pretty much every other contender has kicked the tires on Zobrist, because he can help out almost every position.

That means Zobrist won’t come cheap, even though he is in the final year of his contract.

I can’t even begin to guess at what a Zobrist deal might cost, given that teams are willing to overpay for him. Billy Beane probably continues to dither, because he knows that he’s got a favorable market.

Waiting will just drive up the price.

Next: San Diego Padres Justin Upton

Jun 16, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder

(10) hits a sacrifice RBI as he breaks his bat grounding into a double play during the eighth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

With the San Diego Padres looking like a disaster at 39-48, rookie general manager A.J. Preller has already fired manager Bud Black. With the move failing to turn his club around, Preller might be forced to bite the bullet and sell.

Preller has a ton of money invested in veterans like Matt Kemp, James Shields, and Melvin Upton Jr. He strip-mined his farm system during the winter to load up for the 2015 season. With the strategy a failure, Preller needs to salvage what he can and start over.

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Justin Upton becomes his number one sell-now candidate, since the soon to be 27-year-old outfielder is in the final year of his contract. Preller needs to sell Upton now, or else lose him for a compensation pick in free agency this winter.

Upton is one of the most potent bats that figures to be available on the trade market. He’s hitting .259/.338/.434 with 10 doubles, 14 home runs, and 46 RBI’s. For his career, Justin Upton has a more impressive .273/.353/.473 triple slash with 178 home runs.

 You’re not getting that outfield power anywhere else. However, Upton has a -5.2 DEF as a corner outfielder. Alex Gordon he is not, but you can soften the defensive blow by using Jarrod Dyson in left if the KC Royals take a late-inning lead.

Justin Upton also brings patience to the plate. His career walk rate of 10.2% compares favorably to Gordon’s career 9.7% rate.

However, Upton hits right-handed, which might unbalance the lineup. And, the problem is that Upton figures to be either expensive in: 1) prospects, or 2) bad contracts that Preller might want a trade partner to absorb.

I just don’t see Dayton Moore paying that price for a bat that might be in decline.

Next: Milwaukee Brewers Gerardo Parra

Jun 25, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder

(28) makes a running catch of ball hit by New York Mets first baseman

(not pictured) in the first inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

With the 37-50 Milwaukee Brewers clearly in sell mode, outfielder Gerardo Parra becomes a deadline deal trade candidate. He’s slashing a more than solid .309/.345/.487 with 8 home runs and 26 RBI’s.

As a guy that can play all three outfield positions, Parra is versatile. Parra currently has a -10.8 DEF rating on Fangraphs.com, but that’s due to his play in center field. He’s a plus defender in the corners, which is where the Kansas City Royals need help.

Gerardo Parra even brings a bit of Alex Gordon-like arm strength to the position, ranking second in all of major league baseball with 50 outfield assists since 2011 (behind Gordon’s 65). Parra is also a left-handed hitter, so he would help maintain the KC Royals righty/lefty lineup balance.

However, the knock on the 28-year-old Parra has always been that he’s more of 4th outfielder than a starting guy. Despite this season’s .832 OPS for Milwaukee, his career triple slash is a slightly below league average .277/.327/.403. He’s never hit more than 10 home runs in a season, and isn’t as patient as Gordon at the plate with a mere 5.2% walk rate this season.

Even so, Parra is a guy that can help, and isn’t likely to cost anything close to Zobrist.

Next: Milwaukee Brewers Carlos Gomez

Jun 30, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez (27) losses his helmet while swinging at a pitch during the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Brewers defeated the Phillies, 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

I initially overlooked Carlos Gomez because I conflated him with the Rockies Carlos Gonzalez—whom I disregarded because of the $37 million due him over the next two years and his subpar performance the last two seasons.

Until, that is, a fan on Twitter asked me this:

I felt pretty stupid when I didn’t have a good answer for him. So, I added Gomez to my list.

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Twenty-nine year old Carlos Gomez is an excellent trade target to fill-in for Alex Gordon. He plays for a sure seller, is in the final year of his contract, and he brings significant pop to the plate.

Gomez is slashing .274/.323/.451 for the Brewers this season with 16 doubles, 8 home runs, and 36 RBIs. In the three seasons from 2012 through 2014, Gomez slammed 66 home runs and stole 111 bases. Though both his speed and power are down this season from his recent standards, he’s still a middle of the order stick that should be available at the deadline.

Carlos Gomez is a slightly below average defender with an Ultimate Zone Rating of -0.2,  but that’s as a centerfielder for the Brewers. I’d expect his range to compare much better against corner outfielders—which is where he’d play in Kansas City.

The problem with Gomez is that he is a right-handed hitter that won’t replace Gordon’s left-handed bat. Even so, his range and power could help the Kansas City Royals even after Alex Gordon returns—if Alex Rios fails to turn his season around.

Next: Cincinnati Reds Marlon Byrd

May 14, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds left fielder

(L) hits a solo home run in the eighth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Great American Ball Park. The Reds won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Thirty-seven  year old Cincinnati Reds outfielder Marlon Byrd has become something of a cut-and-paste guy (at least in terms of trade rumor lists) ever since his career resurgence in 2013.

While in the midst of a .291/.336/.511 season in 2013, the Mets dealt him to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a deadline deal. After signing with the Phillies in 2014, he again featured in a lot of deadline deal rumors, except Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro inexplicably held on to him (and Chase Utley, Cole Hamels, and Jimmy Rollins).

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• Wainwright deal would create issues for KC Royals

Once again having a useful season (.245/.300/.467 with 14 home runs) for a team falling out of contention, Marlon Byrd is appearing in deadline deal rumors for the third straight year.

While Byrd hits right-handed, and has been a negative defender the last two seasons, he can fill a corner outfield spot while giving his team some pop. He wouldn’t be an ideal replacement for Alex Gordon, but at 37—and on a one-year contract—he would be cheap.

That is, of course, if Cincinnati decides to sell. At 38-44, and seven games out of the second N.L. wild card, the Reds find themselves caught in no-mans-land between bad enough to sell and good enough to dream.

The problem is that the Reds are looking at a long-rebuilding road ahead if they cut bait this season and become a seller. Taking one last shot at the post-season has to be tempting for general manager Walt Jocketty, while he still has Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips.

Jocketty can’t really hope to win the Central while trailing the high-flying Cardinals by 15.5 games, and the Pirates by 11.5. Even so, ace Johnny Cueto and closer Aroldis Chapman could make the Reds far more of a threat in a short series than they pose during the regular season.

Next: Conclusion: Don't Expect Dayton Moore To Spend Big

Apr 6, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost (3) receives his American League championship ring from general manager Dayton Moore before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

There you have it, KC Royals fans: my top six trade possibilities to plug the Royals outfield gap while Alex Gordon heals.

The Kansas City Royals could, of course, weather the storm with internal options like Jarrod Dyson and AAA outfielders such as Whit Merrifield, Jose Martinez (.375 BA, 1.015 OPS in the Pacific Coast League) and Brett Eibner (.292 BA, .840 OPS in the PCL).

Or, Dayton Moore could strengthen his starting rotation, and infield depth, rather than the outfield. There are also other outfield possibilities he could consider. For example Jeff Francoeur is in Philadelphia and we all know how much Dayton Moore loves Jeff Francoeur.

I didn’t have the heart to torment Royals fans by suggesting Frenchy return to Kansas City, which is why I failed to include Francoeur on this list. Francoeur, however, plays for a down-and-out team, is familiar with the city, fits in the clubhouse, and should cost almost nothing.

Of the possibilities mentioned above, I see Gerardo Parra and Marlon Byrd as the most likely fits. Dayton Moore has built the KC Royals system for the long-haul. He hopes to remain in contention for many years to come. I don’t see him embracing the boom/bust/selloff model made famous by the Miami Marlins. He wants to win 15 division titles in a row, like his mentor John Schuerholz did with the Atlanta Braves.

Thus, I doubt Moore is willing to pay the price in prospects that a Johnny Cueto, Cole Hamels, or a Justin Upton will cost.  

Stay tuned, Kansas City Royals fans. July just got very interesting.

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