Kings Of Kauffman
FanSided

Kansas City Royals: Second Base Trade Market

By John Viril

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next

Jul 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics second baseman Ben Zobrist (18) high five teammates after being batted in on a two run home run by designated hitter

Billy Butler

(not pictured) against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Ok. We’ve beat this one to death. The Kansas City Royals have been rumored to be chasing Ben Zobrist since late June.

Live Feed

NFL Straight Up Picks for Every Team in Week 14 (Fade Fraudulent Vikings vs. Lions, Panthers Pounce at Seahawks)
NFL Straight Up Picks for Every Team in Week 14 (Fade Fraudulent Vikings vs. Lions, Panthers Pounce at Seahawks) /

Betsided

  • MLB Power Rankings: Where all 30 teams rank after the Winter Meetings FanSided
  • 2023 MLB Mock Draft: Meet the top-10, and who's No. 1? FanSided
  • Remembering the uniqueness of MLB Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry Call to the Pen
  • Let's Set Odds: Where Will Dansby Swanson Sign in Free Agency? Betsided
  • Let's Set Odds: Where Will Trea Turner Sign in Free Agency? Betsided

    • The reason all the chattering keeps on going is that Zobrist is a perfect fit for the KC Royals needs. He’s a plus defender at pretty much every position except catcher. He’s patient at the plate. He’s got some pop. He can fill in for either of the Kansas City Royals perceived lineup shortcomings at second base and right field. Zobrist is a free-agent next season, so should be about as cheap as he can get.

    Zobrist has swung a hot bat in the last two months, slashing .269/.384/.495 in June and .292/.366/.444 in July. For the season, Zobrist is hitting .268/.354/.457 with 20 doubles, 2 triples, and 6 home runs for an OPS+ (adjusted On Base Plus Slugging) of 122 (22% above league-average).

    Heck, the guy can be a middle-of-the-order hitter in most lineups. Plus, he’s a switch hitter—so he’s good for your righty/lefty match-up balance.

    The Kansas City Royals already splurged on the best pitching arm on the 2015 deadline market. So why should they settle for second cuts when it comes to utility players?

    Next: Miami Marlins Martin Prado

    Home/KC Royals Rumors