Kansas City Royals: Twitter question to get you thinking

Rationale

When going through this, I had a really hard time once I reached 10 on my list. I know, I picked two, but I have a reason. I am under the impression that the Royals are going to be trading Merrifield. Meaning, I can’t really keep him if he isn’t on the team. Which is why I have two selected so if Merrifield is traded I have a replacement already decided on.

So let’s start with the MLB players first. I picked Perez, Merrifield, Mondesi, and Keller to keep for a simple reason.

Salvador Perez

Perez, while having a down year, is still one of the best defensive catchers in the league. I also don’t think this is going to be the norm offensively for him. He has said, as well as others affiliated with the organization in some way, that he is pressing. Perez seems to be trying to be the guy to “save the team” instead of being who he is. He also brings stability to the Royals that no one else in the system at the position can match right now.

Adalberto Mondesi

Mondesi, I still believe is the future middle infielder for the Royals. Even though he has a .222/.236/.352 slash on the year, over his last nine games he has a .273/.273/.455 slash. Consistent playing time is all he needs, which he might be turning the corner right now. Plus, he is an amazing defender that can play second base or shortstop and is just 22-years-old.

Brad Keller

Keller looks like a future front-end rotational arm. The Rule-5 pick who had never pitched higher than Double-A before this year is shining. So far this year he has a 2.52 ERA over 28 appearances and 60.2 innings. Keller has since been moved to the rotation where he has made seven starts, posting a 2.83 ERA over 38.1 innings. He may not be a high strikeout pitcher (22 strikeouts compared to 16 walks), but his 1.365 WHIP as a starter is solid. Plus, he is only 22-years-old.

Whit Merrifield

Lastly, if the Royals still have him, Merrifield made the list. This shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone. Over his three year career, Merrifield is hitting .291/.337/.435 and is hitting .303/.371/.429 this year. He is not only a great offensive player but one of the most versatile defenders in the league. During his time with the Royals, the only positions Merrifield hasn’t played is catcher and pitcher. That type of skillset makes him an easy in on this list. Unfortunately, due to his skillset, he is most likely going to be traded to a contending team. But, for the time being, he is still in Kansas City so he makes the list.