Kansas City Royals Rumors: What’s next on the market?
By Colby Wilson
![KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 16: The Kansas City Royals celebrate the walk off single by Lorenzo Cain #6 (left) against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 16, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Brian Davidson/Getty Images) KANSAS CITY, MO - JULY 16: The Kansas City Royals celebrate the walk off single by Lorenzo Cain #6 (left) against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium on July 16, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Brian Davidson/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fkingsofkauffman-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2017-2F07-2F815703720-texas-rangers-v-kansas-city-royals-jpg-850x560-a71be26f1c50a39a65d6254b73334a89.jpg)
Ichiro, OF, Miami
There are a number of reasons why the Kansas City Royals could stand to take a long, hard look at the Rising Sun’s Favorite Son:
- Ichiro continues to possess above-average defensive abilities in the outfield—in his limited outings in 2017, he’s got the second-best arm rating and second-best UZR on the Marlins behind Marcell Ozuna.
- He’s a veteran presence that fits into any clubhouse—you can’t go a season without teammates raving about his leadership.
- Never underestimate the karmic factor of bringing aboard the Veteran Chasing His Elusive Championship Ring element into the equation.
- Despite the fact that he’s nearly 44 years old, Ichiro still commands a huge following in Japan—by all accounts, he’s some combination of Michael Jordan and the Beatles in his home country. I’m not a big brand enhancement guy, but if you’re getting a fourth outfielder/designated hitter type, why not go for the one who could train the eyes of a baseball-mad nation on your franchise during the playoffs?
- An outfield of Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and Ichiro would cover a lot of ground and be tons of fun to watch.
Ichiro is 43. He’s hitting .223 this season. But he represents a defensive upgrade in the late innings, Jorge Bonifacio could always slide in as the DH and honestly, it would just be tons of fan to have him.